BACKGROUND: Dyspeptic symptoms are frequent in renal patients. They are anorexia, nausea, vomit, pain and epigastric distension. These symptoms can be related to the delay in gastric emptying. AIM: To investigate gastric emptying in patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis treatment. METHOD: Thirty one subjects (18-60 y) were studied, 14 on hemodialysis for at least 6 months and 17 healthy subjects). Patients with diabetes, amyloidosis, collagenous disease, pregnant, dyspeptic complaints , gastric surgery and patients taking procinetics drugs were excluded. Gastric emptying was investigated with radionuclide scintigraphy, using a dual-head scintillation camera. The standard test meal consisted of 185 MBq of technetium-99m sulfur colloid mixed with three scrambled eggs. For each study group a time-activity curve of gastric retention was generated and from that the T½ of gastric emptying was obtained. RESULTS: The groups were similar both in gender and age. There was no significant statistical difference in total retention curves between the two studied groups. Also the T½ of gastric emptying was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Gastric emptying of patients on hemodialysis treatment for at least 6 months was not different from the health subjects.
Renal insufficiency, chronic; Renal dialysis; Gastric emptying
