Nuclear Medicine Scan of Gastric - Scan Index

What Is a Gastric Emptying Scan Index?

A gastric emptying scan index is a specialized nuclear medicine imaging test designed to assess the function and motility of your stomach, specifically how efficiently it moves and empties solid or liquid food into the small intestine. During the test, a very small, safe amount of radioactive tracer (most commonly technetium-99m labeled to a standardized test meal such as egg whites, oatmeal, or liquid nutritional formula) is ingested as part of the test meal. A gamma camera, which detects the low-level radiation from the tracer, takes images of your stomach over the 10-minute scan duration to calculate the percentage of food that has moved out of your stomach at set time intervals, with no intravenous contrast, claustrophobia risk, or special advance preparation required for most patients.

Common Clinical Uses for Gastrointestinal Care

This scan is used to diagnose and evaluate a range of gastrointestinal motility conditions, including gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying often linked to diabetes, neurological conditions, or post-surgical changes), rapid gastric emptying (dumping syndrome), and functional dyspepsia. It is also used to assess how well pro-motility medications or dietary interventions are working for patients with known gastric motility disorders, and to evaluate stomach function in patients being considered for gastric bypass or other bariatric surgeries. The objective, quantitative data from the scan helps gastroenterologists and care teams create personalized treatment plans for patients with persistent upper abdominal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, early fullness, bloating, and unexplained weight loss.