1995 Volume 37 Issue 4 Pages 733-738
We studied the effect of erythromycin on gastric ernptying in 7 patients after per-cutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement, using a radioisotopic method. Thegastric emptying eras not significantly changed pre-and post-PEG. The intravenousadministration of erythromycin (200mg)shortened the gastric ernptying (P< 0.05) and thecorrelation between percentage changes in gastric emptying on PEA placement and onintravenous administration of erythromyci:n was statistically significant(P< 0.01). Gastricemptying also improved, but to lesser degree, in 50f 7 patients after four weeks oftreatment with oral erythromycin (200mg three times a day). The oral administration oferythromycin shortened the gastric emptying that had been particularly prolonged in 2patients after PEA placement to the same value as before PEG placement. These resultssuggest that erythromycin may decrease the chance of reflux of gastric contents in thepatients fed via PEA, because erythromycin improve gastric emptying.
