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Long-standing type II diabetes mellitus is not a risk factor for slow gastric emptying in critically ill patients

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Abstract

Objective

Delayed gastric emptying (GE) is common both in critical illness and in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The effect of DM on the incidence of slow GE in these patients is unknown. We evaluated the effect of DM on liquid GE in critically ill patients.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of GE using a standard [13C]octanoic acid breath test in 12 type 2 DM patients compared with (a) 44 critically ill patients without DM, including (b) a subgroup of 15 age- and sex-matched patients and (c) 15 healthy volunteers. We determined the gastric emptying coefficient (GEC) and the gastric half-emptying time (t 50). Mean APACHE II scores, blood glucose levels and use of morphine were similar between patient groups.

Results

GE was faster in critically ill patients with DM (t 50 122 ± 11 min, GEC: 3.8 ± 0.3) than in patients without DM (t 50 168 ± 16 min, GEC 2.8 ± 0.1) and in age- and sex-matched controls (t 50 165 ± 13 min, GEC 2.7 ± 0.2) and was similar to that in healthy volunteers (t 50 148 ± 13 min, GEC 3.5 ± 0.1). The proportion of patients with slow emptying (GEC < 3.2) was greater in non-DM (all = 56%, matched = 60%) than in DM patients (25%) and healthy subjects (26%).

Conclusion

Long-standing type diabetes mellitus is not a risk factor for slow GE in critically ill patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide SA, Australia

    Nam Q. Nguyen, Laura K. Bryant & Richard H. Holloway

  2. Department of Intensive Care, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide SA, Australia

    Marianne Chapman & Marc Ritz

  3. Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA 5000, Adelaide, Australia

    Robert J. Fraser & Richard H. Holloway

  4. Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Gastroenterology, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide SA, Australia

    Ross Butler, Geoffrey Davidson & Betty Zacharakis

Authors
  1. Nam Q. Nguyen
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  2. Marianne Chapman
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  3. Robert J. Fraser
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  4. Marc Ritz
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  5. Laura K. Bryant
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  8. Betty Zacharakis
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  9. Richard H. Holloway
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Correspondence to Robert J. Fraser.

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Nguyen, N.Q., Chapman, M., Fraser, R.J. et al. Long-standing type II diabetes mellitus is not a risk factor for slow gastric emptying in critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med 32, 1365–1370 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-006-0228-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-006-0228-0

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