Treatment options for patients with severe gastroparesis
Treatment options for patients with severe gastroparesis
Chronic gastroparesis is a motility dysfunction often associated with severe symptoms, the most common disabling symptoms being nausea and vomiting. The term "gastroparesis" is a Greek word that means "a weakness of movement". In this article, some basic facts about gastroparesis are briefly mentioned before aspects on therapy are discussed.
Gastroparesis is defined as delayed gastric emptying in the absence of an obstruction to outflow from the stomach. Hence, the diagnostic procedure in patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroparesis should include at least gastroscopy, so as to exclude obstructive lesions. Furthermore, a gastric emptying test is required to verify abnormal emptying of the stomach. Although delayed emptying of both liquids and solids occurs in patients with gastroparesis, the delayed emptying of solids is considered the most relevant disturbance. Thus, a test of solid emptying is usually applied. The scintigraphic method is considered to be the gold standard. Reference values based . . . [Full text of this article]
2007
Hasse Abrahamsson
BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Society of Gastroenterology
hasse.abrahamsson@medic.gu.se
