Nuclear Medicine Scan of Gastric - Scan Gastric Emptying Scan Item 1

What Is a Gastric Emptying Scan?

A gastric emptying scan is a non-invasive nuclear medicine imaging test designed to evaluate how well your stomach functions by tracking the movement of a small amount of food or liquid mixed with a safe, short-lived radioactive tracer as it moves out of your stomach into your small intestine. This exam does not use intravenous contrast dye, requires no special preparation before your appointment, and does not involve placement in a narrow enclosed scanner, so there is no claustrophobia risk during the 10-minute test.

Common Clinical Uses for Gastrointestinal Evaluation

This scan is used to diagnose and manage a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions that impact stomach motility, including gastroparesis (a condition where the stomach empties too slowly, often linked to long-term diabetes, nerve damage, or use of certain medications), chronic unexplained nausea, vomiting, bloating, and early satiety (feeling full after eating only a small amount of food). It can also be used to assess the effectiveness of treatments for stomach motility disorders, and to evaluate abnormal gastric emptying that may occur after stomach surgery or in people with connective tissue disorders like scleroderma.

What to Expect During Your Exam

On the day of your appointment, you will be given a small, standardized meal or liquid (such as scrambled eggs, white toast, and water, or a pre-mixed liquid nutritional supplement) mixed with the radioactive tracer to eat or drink. You will then lie on a comfortable padded imaging table while a gamma camera positioned above your abdomen takes images of your stomach at set intervals over the 10-minute exam period, with no injections, needles, or uncomfortable pressure used at any point during the scan.