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. 2019 Oct 28:2019:5917085.
doi: 10.1155/2019/5917085. eCollection 2019.

Evaluation of Gastric Emptying Time of a Rice-Based Meal Using Serial Sonography

Eun-Ah Cho #  1 , Mi Sung Kim #  2 , Yun Byeong Cha  1 , Mi-Suk Lee  1 , Taejong Song  3
Affiliations

Evaluation of Gastric Emptying Time of a Rice-Based Meal Using Serial Sonography

Eun-Ah Cho et al. Biomed Res Int. .

Abstract

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the gastric emptying time of a rice-based meal by serial ultrasonography of the stomach. After baseline ultrasonographic assessment of ten fasted healthy volunteers, volunteers ingested standardized 420 g, 536 kcal rice-based meal (bibimbap), and serial evaluations were performed every hour until the stomach became empty. At baseline, all the participants had an empty stomach. The average time of complete gastric emptying of the rice-based meal was 5.8 ± 0.8 h (95% confidence interval (CI), 5.0 h to 6.5 h). Since the first postintake cross-sectional area (CSA) measurement, a decrease was observed, and CSA was maintained until postprandial 3-4 h (P > 0.05). It declined rapidly 4 h after meal intake (P=0.031), reaching the nadir at approximately 6 h after meal intake. The gastric CSA and hunger score showed a positive correlation (correlation r = 0.616, P < 0). The rice-based meal is emptied after 5.8 ± 0.8 h on average in healthy volunteers. Based on our results, 6.5 h (upper limit of CI) of fasting after the ingestion of a rice-based meal would be a safe preoperative fasting time, and this is in accordance with the current guidelines for preoperative fasting.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative ultrasonographic images of cross-sectional area of the gastric antrum (arrow) in the parasagittal plane: (a) at the time of baseline measurement, indicating fasting stomach, (b) 2 h after the intake of the rice-based meal, and (c) 6 h after the intake of the rice-based meal, indicating empty stomach. A = aorta; L = liver; P = pancreas.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Change in the antral CSA after the ingestion of the rice-based meal over time in 9 healthy volunteers. †The difference between CSA at each time point and baseline measurement was statistically significant at P <0.05. ‡The difference between CSA at each time point and the previous measurement was statistically significant at P <0.05. (b) Change in hunger score over time after the intake of the rice-based meal. †The difference between hunger scores at each time point and baseline measurement was statistically significant at P <0.05. ‡The difference between hunger score at each time point and the previous measurement was statistically significant at P <0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatter plot showing the relationship between gastric CSA and hunger score (correlation r = 0.616, P < 0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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