Gastric Emptying Scan

During the first portion of the exam, the technologist will ask about abdominal pain or abdominal surgery. The technologist will then feed you a meal consisting of scrambled eggs, toast, and water. The eggs have a small amount of radioactive material mixed in them that allows imaging the stomach’s digestive process. We will then take serial pictures, every hour, using nuclear medicine. The camera does not emit any radiation, but rather detects the radiation emitted from the radiopharmaceutical that is in the eggs. The camera is open so you are not completely surrounded, and the technologist may stay in the scan room with you. You will be asked to hold still but you do not need to hold your breath. The images will later be used to generate data on a computer to determine how much of the food was digested by your stomach and passed into the small intestine. You will be asked to refrain from eating or drinking anything additional or leaving the office during the exam as either can cause the results of the exam to be invalid.

Clothing

Please wear comfortable clothing. You will be asked to remove any metal objects, especially those near your abdominal area.

Medications

Your physician may want you to stop using certain medications prior to the exam. Please consult with your physician about this.

Food and Drink

You may not eat or drink for 4 hours prior to the exam, and you may not eat or drink anything other than what is provided to you during the exam.

The benefits of Gastric Emptying Scan:

The Gastric Emptying Exam, also known as gastric emptying scintigraphy, will allow the determination of how well your stomach is able to digest and process food in a non-invasive way.

Risks you should be aware of:

Patients with egg allergies cannot have the exam. There is minimal radiation exposure due to the small amount of radioactive material used in the test.

Additional Information:

A gastric emptying scan, sometimes referred to as a gastric emptying test, is performed in the nuclear medicine department. This procedure is helpful for diagnosing conditions such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and unexplained weight loss. The scan evaluates how quickly the stomach empties solid food into the small bowel, providing crucial data for understanding various abdominal pain and digestive issues.

For certain cases, a liquid study or breath test may also be conducted to complement the gastric emptying solid study. Children hospital settings sometimes adapt the procedure to suit younger patients. This test is vital in understanding how the stomach empties and functions, helping in diagnosing and managing GI conditions effectively.