A gastric emptying scan is an imaging test to measure how quickly food travels from the stomach into the small bowel (intestine). It normally takes 1.5 to 2 hours for food to move out of the stomach and into the small intestine. During the test, you are given a meal to eat that contains a small amount of radioactive substance (tracer). Then, scans of the stomach are done. The tracer shows up clearly on the scan and tracts the movement of the food through your stomach. Images will be taken to tell you if your stomach is emptying too slowly or too fast which can possibly explain your symptoms. It can also show where in the stomach things are moving slower or faster. This procedure is performed at a hospital or outpatient clinic
Your physician may order a gastric emptying study if you have symptoms such as gastroparesis, acid reflux, upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal bloating, loss of appetite, indigestion, weight loss and feeling full after only a few bites of food. It is most commonly used to diagnose gastroparesis.
What are the risks?
For most people, there is very little risk. There is a very small amount of radiation used during the test and it is not considered harmful. If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, let your physician know before getting the test done.
References
Medline Plus- NIH Library of Medicine. 2021. Gastric Emptying Tests. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/gastric-emptying-tests/
Cleveland Clinic. 2023. Gastric Emptying Study. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/gastric-emptying-study
