Nuclear Medicine Scan of Gastric - Scan Delayed Gastric Emptying Scan

What Is a Delayed Gastric Emptying Scan?

A delayed gastric emptying scan is a specialized nuclear medicine test designed to evaluate how well your stomach muscles and nerves work to move food into your small intestine. A very small, safe amount of radioactive tracer is mixed into a small, standardized low-fat meal that you eat before the scan, and a large non-enclosed gamma camera positioned above your abdomen takes painless images of your stomach over the 10 minute scan period to track how much food remains in your stomach over time. No contrast dye is used for this exam, and there is no risk of claustrophobia as the scan does not use a tight, enclosed imaging tunnel.

Clinical Applications for Gastrointestinal Health

This scan is the gold standard test for diagnosing gastroparesis, a condition where damaged stomach nerves or muscles cause food to move too slowly from the stomach to the small intestine, most commonly seen in people with long-standing diabetes, Parkinson's disease, or a history of stomach or intestinal surgery. It is also used to evaluate if medications designed to speed up stomach emptying are working effectively, assess persistent gastrointestinal symptoms including daily nausea, vomiting, feeling overly full after eating only a small amount of food, and unexplained weight loss, and rule out structural causes of similar gastrointestinal discomfort.

What to Expect During Your Scan

First, you will eat a small, standardized meal containing the radioactive tracer, then you will lie on a padded exam table while the gamma camera takes images of your stomach over the 10 minute scan period. You will only need to remain still during image capture, can breathe normally throughout the test, and there is no enclosed space so there is no risk of claustrophobia. The scan is completely painless and does not require any injections or IV placement.

Preparation and Safety Information

No special preparation is required for this scan, and you can eat and drink normally before your appointment unless your healthcare provider gives you different instructions. The amount of radiation used in this test is very low, comparable to the radiation exposure from a few standard chest X-rays, and poses minimal risk to most patients. You can return to all normal activities, including eating, drinking, and driving, immediately after your scan is complete.