Gastric emptying study

A gastric emptying scan is a test that shows how quickly food leaves your stomach.

This type of test is called a nuclear scanning test. A radioactive tracer is added to a solid meal that you eat. This tracer shows up on pictures taken by an external camera. That allows your doctor to see food in your stomach and to watch as it leaves the stomach.

A gastric emptying scan is done to see if food moves through the stomach as it should and at the right speed. It can be used to see if a digestive problem like gastroparesis is causing the stomach to retain food.

• You will need to remove any jewelry near the site of the scan.
• You may need to take off your clothes and wear a cloth or paper gown.
• You will be given a quick meal, such as scrambled eggs. The food contains a small amount of the tracer. The scan will start as soon as you've eaten.
• A large scanning camera will be placed just above your belly. When the scan starts, the camera will take a series of pictures of your stomach. The pictures will show the tracer moving through your stomach.
• You may be asked to stand up, lie down, or do both for the needed camera shots.
• The camera will take pictures at certain times over a few hours.
• You will be able to get up and move around in the breaks between camera sessions.

To prepare for this test:

• Talk to your doctor about all your allergies, health problems, and medicines before the scan. Your doctor will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines near the time of your scan.
• Tell your doctor if you are or might be pregnant.
• Follow your doctor's instructions about not eating for a few hours before the scan.
• Don't smoke for about 24 hours before the test.