GASTRIC-EMPTYING - COMPARISON OF ANTERIOR ONLY AND GEOMETRIC MEAN CORRECTION METHODS EMPLOYING STATIC AND DYNAMIC IMAGING

Dynamic (continuous) and static imaging techniques were compared in th e analysis of gastric emptying patterns in 16 consecutive adult patien ts with normal gastric half-emptying times assessed by dynamic imaging for 90 minutes under a dual head camera allowing simultaneous anterio r and posterior imaging. Gastric t1/2 values were calculated for each patient based on four different data analysis methods: geometric mean corrected dynamic data (GD), anterior alone dynamic data (AD), geometr ic mean corrected simulated static data (GS), and anterior alone simul ated static data (AS). The mean t1/2 values were: GD = 63.8 minutes, A D = 72.1 minutes, GS = 65.3 minutes, and AS = 73.0 minutes. Both the g eometric mean corrected methods had a statistically different t1/2 tha n either of the anterior methods. Lag phase measurements, defined as a 2% decrease in gastric activity were: GD = 7 minutes, AD = 19 minutes , GS = 6 minutes, and AS = 16 minutes. Dynamic and static geometric me an methods provide similar gastric t1/2 calculations that are statisti cally different than anterior alone methods, and the lag phase is much shorter using either of the geometric mean methods.