Gastric emptying study by scintigraphy in patients with chronic renal failure.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study had the purpose of studying gastric emptying in patients with chronic renal failure. MATERIAL AND METHOD Thirty patients with chronic renal failure were studied, 16 in conservative clinical treatment and 14 in hemodialysis for over six months. The control group (CTL) was composed of 18 asymptomatic volunteers. The method of gastric emptying study was scintigraphy. The standardized test meal was an omelet of three chicken eggs prepared with colloidal sulfur marked with 185 MBq of 99m technetium. Gastric retention curves were studied and T½ of gastric emptying was obtained from them. A T½ value corresponding to the average of T½ values of control group plus twice standard deviation was considered nornmal. Statistical tests used were χ(2) and Kruskal-Wallis. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference with regard to total gastric retention curves and T½ of gastric emptying, which was similar in three studied groups. Nine patients had high T½ of gastric emptying, above 125 minutes. These patients were equally distributed among both genders and conservative clinical treatment and hemodialysis groups. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that gastric retention rate and T½ of gastric emptying in patients with chronic renal failure in conservative clinical treatment and hemodialysis does not differ from the healthy patients group. Hemodialysis does not seem to reduce the risk of gastric retention in patients with chronic renal failure.