The [13C]acetate breath test accurately reflects gastric emptying of liquids in both liquid and semisolid test meals

• Published in: Gastroenterology (New York, N.Y. 1943) Vol. 108; no. 4; p. 1048
• Main Authors: Braden, B, Adams, S, Duan, L P, Orth, K H, Maul, F D, Lembcke, B, Hör, G, Caspary, W F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.04.1995
• Subjects: Acetates - analysis; Adult; Aged; Breath Tests - methods; Carbon Radioisotopes - analysis; Female; Gastric Emptying; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sensitivity and Specificity; Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
• ISSN: 0016-5085; 1528-0012
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-5085(95)90202-3

The current standard for gastric emptying studies are radioactive isotope methods. [13C]breath tests have been developed as a nonradioactive alternative. The aim of this study was to validate a [13C]acetate breath test as a measure of gastric emptying of the liquid phase both in liquid and semisolid test meals by simultaneous radioscintigraphy. Thirty-five patients with dyspeptic symptoms and 20 healthy volunteers were tested using a semisolid oatmeal or a liquid test meal. Both test meals were labeled by 150 mg sodium [13C]acetate and (in patients) by 45 MBq 99mTc-albumin colloid. Half-time of gastric emptying was calculated after curve fitting of the 13C exhalation to a modified power exponential function. 99mTc-albumin emptying was measured by conventional radioscintigraphy. The half-emptying times for the [13C]acetate breath test closely correlated to those measured by radioscintigraphy both for semisolids (r = 0.87) and liquids (r = 0.95). The time of maximum 13CO2 exhalation was itself a reliable parameter compared with the half-emptying times obtained by scintigraphy (r = 0.85 for semisolids; r = 0.94 for liquids). The [13C]acetate breath test is a reliable and noninvasive tool for the analysis of gastric emptying rates of liquid phases without radiation exposure.