ULTRASOUND MEASUREMENT OF GASTRIC-EMPTYING TIME IN PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS AND EFFECT OF RANITIDINE ON DELAYED GASTRIC-EMPTYING

Intestinal dysmotility is commonly reported in patients with cystic fi brosis (CF); however, gastric motor activity has rarely been investiga ted, We measured with real-time ultrasonography the antral distention and gastric emptying time of a solid-liquid meal in 29 patients with C F (age range, 5 to 17 years), A significantly prolonged gastric emptyi ng time was present in 26 patients compared with 13 healthy control su bjects (age range, 5 to 16 years); an exaggerated antral distention in the fed period was also detected, The patients with CF and delayed ga stric emptying were randomly allocated to receive cisapride or ranitid ine for 4 weeks, Twelve patients treated with ranitidine and 11 with c isapride completed the trial, There was a marked decrease in gastric e mptying time, antral distention, and dyspeptic symptomatic score in pa tients receiving ranitidine but not in patients treated with cisapride . We conclude that gastric dysmotility is commonly detected in patient s with CF and that H-2 receptor blockers are more effective than proki netics in improving dyspeptic symptoms and gastric emptying and disten tion.