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Gastric Emptying Study Center - Kennewick, WA

Kennewick Gastroenterologist Doctors for Gastric Emptying Study

Type of Physician: Gastroenterologist

What is a Gastroenterologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated.

Specialty: Gastroenterology

Common Name: GI Doctor

Gastroenterologist Doctors in Kennewick *

John M Roach MD
John M Roach
811 S Auburn St
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 586-9187

Tri Cities Endoscopy Center
Sittilerk Trikalsaransukh
7114 W Hood Pl
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 734-4885

Tri Cities Endoscopy Center
Verapan Vongthavaravat
7114 W Hood Pl
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 734-4885

Columbia River Gastroenterology
Peter Donald Maher
602 N Colorado St
STE D
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 735-8600

Suresh Phillip MD
Suresh Philip
7525 W Deschutes Pl
STE 1A
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 737-8766

Hoyeol Yang MD
Hoyeol Yang
98 Columbia Point Dr
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 946-3636

Tri Cities Digestive Health
Somprak Boonpongmanee
780 Swift Blvd
STE 280
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 946-9747

St Mary's Physicians Group
James E Harri
301 W Poplar St
STE 210
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 522-5825

Blue Mountain Medical Group
Kyongchol Kim
1111 S 2nd Ave
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 522-0100

Walla Walla Clinic
Lawrence S Zawatzky
55 W Tietan St
Main Clinic
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 525-3720

Kennewick, Washington

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Gastric Emptying Study

What is a gastric emptying study?

A gastric emptying study is a procedure that is done by nuclear medicine physicians using radioactive chemicals that measures the speed with which food empties from the stomach and enters the small intestine. Gastric emptying studies are used for testing patients who are having symptoms that may be due to slow and, less commonly, rapid emptying of the stomach. The symptoms of slow emptying are primarily nausea, vomiting, and abdominal fullness after eating. The symptoms of rapid emptying are diarrhea, weakness or light-headedness after eating after eating.

How is a gastric emptying study done?

For a gastric emptying study, a patient eats a meal in which a solid component of the meal (for example, scrambled egg), a liquid component of the meal (for example, water), or both, are mixed with a small amount of radioactive material. A scanner (acting like a Geiger counter) is placed over the patient's stomach to monitor the amount of radioactivity in the stomach for several hours after the test meal is eaten. As the radioactively-labelled food empties from the stomach, the amount of radioactivity in the stomach decreases. The rate at which the radioactivity leaves the stomach reflects the rate at which food is emptying from the stomach

Some medications such as narcotic pain relievers and anticholinergic medications can cause delay emptying of the stomach, while other medications such as metoclopramide (Reglan) and erythromycin can cause rapid emptying of the stomach. Medications that slow emptying of the stomach can give a falsely abnormal test result, while medications that speed up emptying of the stomach can give a falsely normal result. Therefore, medications that affect emptying of the stomach should be withheld for 48-72 hours before performing emptying studies. Abnormally high blood glucose (sugar) levels also can slow emptying of the stomach. Ther...

Recommended Reading Related to Gastric Emptying Study

Intestinal Gas »

What causes belching?

The ability to belch is almost universal. Belching, also known as burping (medically referred to as eructation), is the act of expelling gas from the stomach out through the mouth. The usual cause of belching is a distended (inflated) stomach caused by swallowed air. The distention of the stomach causes abdominal discomfort, and the belching expels the air and relieves the discomfort. The common reasons for swallowing large amounts of air (aerophagia) are gulping food or drink too rapidly, anxiety, and carbonated beverages. People are often unaware that they are swallowing air. "Burping" infants during bottle or breastfeeding is important in order to expel air in the stomach that has been swallowed with the formula or milk.

Excessive air in the stomach is not the only cause of belching. For some people, belching becomes a habit and does not reflect the amount of air in their stomachs. For others, belching is a response to an...

Emergency Contact for Kennewick

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Kennewick Hospitals *

Kennewick General Hospital
900 S Auburn St
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509)586-6111

Lourdes Medical Center
520 N 4th Ave
Pasco, WA 99301
(509)547-7704

Kadlec Medical Center
888 Swift Blvd
Richland, WA 99352
(509)946-4611

Good Shepherd Medical Center
610 NW 11th St
Hermiston, OR 97838
(541)667-3400

Prosser Memorial Hospital
723 Memorial St
Prosser, WA 99350
(509)786-2222

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