RISK INDICATORS OF DELAYED GASTRIC-EMPTYING OF SOLIDS IN PATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA

Background & Aims: Although gastric dysmotility and dyspeptic symptoms are often associated, their relationship remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between gastric emptying a bnormalities and clinical features in functional dyspepsia. Methods: I n 343 patients with functional dyspepsia, the gastric emptying of soli ds was measured by a radioisotopic technique and four dyspeptic sympto ms (epigastric pain and burning, postprandial fullness, nausea, and vo miting) were measured as absent, mild, relevant, and severe, according to their influence on patients' usual activities. Results: Delayed ga stric emptying was detected in 33.5% of dyspeptics. Delayed gastric em ptying was particularly frequent in patients characterized by female s ex, low body weight, presence of relevant and severe postprandial full ness, nausea, vomiting, and absence of relevant and severe epigastric pain. Logistic regression showed that delayed gastric emptying was inv ariably associated with female sex and with postprandial fullness (odd s ratio, 2.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-3.75) and vomiting (odds ratio, 4.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-12.54) when coded as severe and only postprandial fullness (odds ratio, 3.78; 95% confidence inte rval, 1.78-8.01) when coded as relevant and severe. Conclusions: Femal e sex, relevant and severe postprandial fullness, and severe vomiting ave independently associated with delayed gastric emptying of solids i n patients with functional dyspepsia seen in a referral center.