DOES HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION AFFECT GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN PATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA

The objectives of the study were first, to determine if gastric emptyi ng was altered in patients with functional dyspepsia with and without Helicobacter pylori infection compared with normal healthy volunteers; and second, to determine if there were further alterations in gastric emptying when the infection was eradicated. Gastric emptying was meas ured using a (99m)technetium radiolabelled solid meal and gastric empt ying time was measured as t(1/2), viz. time taken for half the radiola belled meal to be emptied from the stomach. The mean gastric emptying time for H. pylori-positive patients (n = 20) was 56.4 +/- 24.8 min; H . pylori-negative patients (n = 19) 67.8 +/- 31.8 min; and normal cont rols (n = 20) 58.8 +/- 18.8 min. No significant difference was obtaine d between the groups (ANOVA; P = 0.348). Thirteen of 18 H. pylori-posi tive patients successfully eradicated the infection following treatmen t with omeprazole 40 mg o.m. and amoxycillin 500 mg t.d.s. for 2 weeks . The mean difference in the gastric emptying time before and after H. pylori eradication was 23.9 + 13.2 min (P = 0.556). There was no sign ificant difference in the frequency of specific dyspeptic symptoms as well as the overall mean symptom score between the H. pylori-positive and -negative patients. Gastric emptying was not different between pat ients with functional dyspepsia and normal controls. Helicobacter pylo ri infection does not appear to affect gastric emptying in patients wi th functional dyspepsia.