A patient with delayed gastric emptying may be asymptomatic or have one or more symptoms of variable severity. A high index of suspicion may be required to recognize the condition in some patients.
Clinical findings:
(1) nausea
(2) vomiting
(3) abdominal pain
(4) bloating
(5) early satiety
(6) gastroesophageal reflux
(7) poor glycemic control in diabetics
(8) poor or variable oral drug absorption
The vomiting may be delayed for several hours and may be of a high volume.
A patient with a condition associated with delayed gastric emptying and with one or more symptoms may be a candidate for diagnostic testing. This may involve:
(1) measuring the rate of gastric emptying
(2) measurement of intraluminal pressure (manometry)
(3) measurement of gastric electrical activity (electrogastrography)
(4) intubation with aspiration of gastric contents
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