gastroparesis

Last edited 05/2021 and last reviewed 03/2023

Gastroparesis is a disorder characterized by a delay in gastric emptying of a meal in the absence of a mechanical gastric outlet obstruction

Diagnosis of gastroparesis is based on the presence of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and postprandial abdominal fullness and on an objectively determined delay in gastric emptying

  • gastric emptying can be assessed by scintigraphy and stable isotope breath tests
    • gold standard of diagnosis is solid meal gastric scintigraphy

Management of gastroparesis consists of dietary and lifestyle measures and/or pharmacological interventions (prokinetics, antiemetics, intrapyloric botulinum toxin injection) or other interventions that focus on adequate nutrient intake either through a nasoduodenal tube, percutaneous gastrostomy or jejunostomy

  • most patients with mild disease will respond to dietary and life style measures and prokinetics such as domperidone, metoclopramide and erythromycin

Notes:

  • diabetes mellitus is associated with a spectrum of gastric emptying abnormalities:

    • transient slow gastric emptying

    • transient fast gastric emptying

    • persistent slow or delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis)

    • persistent fast gastric emptying

    • delayed gastric emptying may cause difficulty in glucose control in patients receiving insulin therapy (3)
    • rapid gastric emptying plays an important role in the genesis and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (3)

    Upper abdominal symptoms resembling functional dyspepsia were thought to be due to underlying delayed gastric emptying

    • similar symptoms are associated with rapid gastric emptying, suggesting that gastroparesis may not be the cause of the symptoms (3)

Reference:

Related pages:

mechanisms of gastroparesis

prevalence of gastroparesis

aetiology

diagnosis

management

NICE - gastroparesis in type 1 diabetes