GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE ON CONTINUOUSAMBULATORY PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS

Radionuclide gastric emptying studies were carried out on 20 patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRF) undergoing continuous ambulatory p eritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Nine of the patients had diabetes mellitus. Eight normal volunteers were also studied to establish normal ranges. Solid and liquid emptying patterns were investigated simultaneously u sing a meal made up of a solid phase labelled with (99m)Technetium and a liquid phase labelled with (111)Indium. The solid emptying fitted a model with a lag phase followed by a linear emptying phase and the li quid emptying fitted a single exponential. Nine of the 20 patients (fo ur diabetic, five non-diabetic) were found to have delayed solid empty ing, and four of these (two diabetic, two non-diabetic) also had delay ed liquid emptying. No correlation was found between any of the parame ters studied and the clinical symptoms of the patients. It is conclude d that almost half of the patients studied had abnormal gastric emptyi ng, but that many of these did not suffer from severe symptoms.