THE PROPORTIONAL CUMULATIVE AREA-UNDER-THE-CURVE OF PARACETAMOL USED AS AN INDEX OF GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN DIABETIC-PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMS OF GASTROPARESIS

1. The foreshortened 2 h method of measuring liquid gastric emptying ( i.e. the proportional cumulative area under the curve of paracetamol) was utilized in diabetic patients in order to detect both gastroparesi s and the influence of metoclopramide, a known prokinetic drug, on thi s condition. 2. Metoclopramide, 10 mg intravenously, caused a signific ant increase in the median PCAUC from 20 min onwards. 3. In this study delayed gastric emptying was defined as a %PCAUC without pretreatment lower than the 5% percentile at 40, 60 and 90 min for normal voluntee rs. According to this criterion seven of the 10 patients with clinical symptoms of gastroparesis and/or peripheral neuropathy had delayed ga stric emptying. 4. The PCAUC method would therefore seem to be a relia ble model for investigating gastric emptying in diabetics and the effe cts of various prokinetic drugs on this condition.