Diagnosing Diabetic Gastroparesis: An Overview
Diagnosing
diabetic gastroparesis is done through tests such as x-rays, manometry, and scanning. Specific tests used for diagnosing diabetic gastroparesis include:
- Barium x-ray
- Barium beefsteak meal
- Radioisotope gastric-emptying scan
- Gastric manometry
- Blood tests
- Upper endoscopy
- Ultrasound.
Diagnosing Diabetic Gastroparesis Using a Barium X-Ray
After fasting for 12 hours, you will drink a thick liquid called barium, which coats the inside of the stomach, making it show up on the x-ray. Normally, the stomach will be empty of all food after 12 hours of fasting. If the x-ray shows food in the stomach, diabetic gastroparesis is likely. If the x-ray shows an empty stomach but the doctor still suspects that you have delayed emptying, you may need to repeat the test another day. On any given day, a person with diabetic gastroparesis may digest a meal normally, giving a falsely normal test result. If you have
diabetes, your doctor may have special instructions about fasting.
Diagnosing Diabetic Gastroparesis Using Barium Beefsteak Meal
In this test, you will eat a meal that contains barium, thus allowing the radiologist to watch your stomach as it digests the meal.
The amount of time it takes for the barium meal to be digested and leave the stomach gives the doctor an idea of how well the stomach is working. This test can help detect emptying problems that do not show up on the liquid barium x-ray. In fact, people who have diabetic gastroparesis often digest fluid normally, so the barium beefsteak meal can be more useful.
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