A DOUBLE-BLIND FLUOROSCOPIC STUDY OF CISAPRIDE ON GASTROINTESTINAL MOTILITY IN PATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA

Twenty patients with functional dyspepsia were referred for radiologic examination and, upon confirmation of a hypomotile stomach, were give n either 10 mg cisapride or placebo in a double-blind manner (10 patie nts per group). The movement of a 250-ml barium meal was assessed by m eans of television fluoroscopy performed at regular time intervals. Ci sapride significantly improved antral contractility and enhanced gastr ic emptying compared with placebo. Deep peristaltic waves occurred ove r the entire small bowel, and motility and small-bowel transit time of the barium meal were significantly increased in the cisapride group c ompared with the placebo group. The study demonstrates that when a car efully defined protocol is observed, fluoroscopy following barium inge stion offers considerable potential in the assessment of gastrointesti nal motility.