Gastric Emptying Study (GES)

What is a gastric emptying study?

A gastric emptying study is a test that measures how long it takes food to empty from your child’s stomach into their small intestine. Healthcare providers use a special scanner called a gamma camera to take images of your child’s stomach after they eat. Other names for a gastric emptying study include:

• Gastric emptying test.
• Gastric emptying scan.
• Stomach emptying test.
• Gastric nuclear emptying study.
• Gastric emptying scintigraphy.

What does a gastric emptying study diagnose?

A gastric emptying study is the most practical procedure to see how well your child’s stomach is working. Healthcare providers most often use gastric emptying studies to diagnose gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a condition that occurs when your child’s stomach takes longer than normal to empty. It normally takes one-and-a-half to two hours for food to travel from your child’s stomach to their small intestine.

A gastric emptying test can also diagnose dumping syndrome, which is a condition that occurs when your child’s stomach empties contents into their small intestine too quickly. The study can also detect gastroesophageal reflux.

Providers may use the study to find out why your child is:

• Frequently vomiting.
• Experiencing abdominal pain.
• Not gaining weight.
• Experiencing early satiety (feeling full sooner than normal).

Your child’s provider may also use a gastric emptying study to help your child get treatment for gastroparesis before it causes serious complications.

How does my child prepare for the test?

Gastric emptying study prep includes restricting all food and drink after midnight the night before the test. Your child’s stomach needs to be empty before the test. In addition, your child’s provider will let you know if they need to stop taking any medications before the test.

You may want to explain the procedure to your child. Also, plan to bring books, toys or other activities to keep your child occupied between the scans.

What should my child expect during the test?

The gastric emptying test procedure includes the following steps:

1. A radiologist or radiology technician will bring your child back to the imaging area where they’ll change into a hospital gown.
2. The provider will give your child a light meal to eat. The meal usually consists of scrambled egg whites with two slices of white toast with strawberry jelly or jam. Your child can also drink 4 ounces of water at this time. The scrambled eggs will contain a trace amount of a harmless radioactive material called a tracer. The radioactive material won’t make the eggs taste or look any different.
3. Your child will have 10 minutes to eat the meal. You should encourage your child to eat the meal within the 10 minutes allowed. If your child vomits the radioactive meal before the end of the study, you’ll need to reschedule the test.
4. Once your child has finished the meal, the technician will bring your child into the nuclear medicine imaging room. The technician will take various pictures of your child’s belly (abdomen). These initial scans take about one minute. The radiologist will watch the radioactive tracer move through your child’s stomach on a monitor.
5. The technician will take additional pictures at one-hour, two-hour and four-hour intervals. Each series of pictures will take about one minute. Between scans, the technician may ask your child to stay nearby since it’s a timed test. Your child can’t eat or drink anything else until the technician takes the last images.

How long does a gastric emptying study take?

A solid meal gastric emptying study usually takes between four to five hours.

What should my child expect after the test?

If your child is an outpatient and has no other tests or appointments scheduled, you and your child can go home. There are no restrictions to activities or food and drink after the exam.

What are the risks of this test?

You shouldn’t have a gastric emptying test if you’re pregnant or think you might be pregnant. Radiation from this test can be harmful to a fetus. If you’re not pregnant, there’s little risk in having the test. The amount of radiation given off during the test is very low, and providers don’t consider it harmful for most people.

When should I know the results of the test?

A radiologist will interpret the images, write a report and deliver the results to your child’s healthcare provider within a few days.

What are normal results for a gastric emptying study?

After you eat, it usually takes one-and-a-half to two hours for food to move out of your stomach and into your small intestine. Normal results for a gastric emptying study will show your stomach passed food through within this time frame.

If the results are abnormal what are the next steps?

Your child’s provider will reach out to you to discuss the next steps.

Can a gastric emptying scan show cancer?

Gastric emptying scans specifically show how long it takes food to pass from your stomach to your small intestine. While delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis) can be a sign of cancer, healthcare providers use other imaging tests to detect cancer. Importantly, this is an exceedingly uncommon cause of delayed gastric emptying in a child.

What can I do to help put my child more at ease during a gastric emptying study?

It’s important that your child feels at ease during this test. There are certain things you can do to help your child prepare and feel comfortable.

• You can practice holding still with your child the night before the test. This can help them feel more secure when their provider asks them to do this during the test.
• Typically, one parent or caregiver can accompany the child to the scanner.
• A “comfort” item from home is a good way to help your child feel comfortable while at the hospital.
• Remember, your presence is a comfort to your child.
• Remind your child that this test is pain-free.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

A gastric emptying study isn’t painful, but it can make for a long day for a child. If your child needs to have a gastric emptying test, you may want to explain the procedure and help your child prepare. They won’t be able to eat anything other than the small meal of eggs and toast until after the last scans. Bring activities to keep your child occupied between scans. And don’t forget to bring something to keep your mind at ease, too. Your child’s provider will report back with the results as soon as possible.