Normal Gastric Emptying
Constipation from Colonic Inertia
There are 2 commonly-performed types of gastrointestinal scans:
• Gastric Emptying Scans
• Colonic Transit Scans
All gastrointestinal scans are bulk-billed.
Gastric Emptying Scans are used to diagnose abnormal emptying of the stomach. Patients with this condition often have nausea and vomiting after eating. For this test an egg sandwich is ingested followed by intermittent scans to determine how quickly it passes through the body.
This scan requires fasting (except for water) for 6 hours. Prokinetic medications (e.g. Maxolon) should be discontinued for 2 days.
Colonic Transit Scans are performed in patients with unexplained chronic constipation. It provides an assesment of the severity and type of constipation.
This test requires 5 consecutive days for completion. On Monday morning a very small amount of the tracer Gallium-67 citrate is mixed into a cup and provided as a drink. Patients will need to return in the afternoon for a 10-min scan. Further 10-min scans will be performed every morning until Friday.
This scan requires special preparation:
• Laxatives should be ceased for 1 week before the scan and during the week of the test.
• Fasting is required for 6 hours (except for water) on the first day.