Gastric emptying of solids in children: reference values for the 13C‐octanoic acid breath test
Abstract
Background (99m) Technetium scintigraphy ((99m) TS) is the 'gold standard' for measuring gastric emptying (GE), but it is associated with a radiation exposure. For this reason, the (13) C-octanoic acid breath test ((13) C-OBT) was developed for measuring GE of solids. The objective of this study was to determine normal values for gastric half-emptying time (t1/2 GE) of solids in healthy children. Methods Gastric emptying of a standardized solid test meal consisting of a pancake evaluated with (99m) TS and (13) C-OBT was compared in 22 children aged between 1 and 15 years with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Subsequently, the (13) C-OBT was used to determine normal values for GE of the same solid test meal in 120 healthy children aged between 1 and 17 years. Key results The results showed a significant correlation (r = 0.748, p = 0.0001) between t1/2 GE measured with both techniques in the group of children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. In the group of healthy children, mean t1/2 GE was 157.7 ± 54.0 min (range 71-415 min), but t1/2 GE decreased with age between 1 and 10 years and remained stable afterward. There was no influence of gender, weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area on t1/2 GE. Conclusions & inferences Normal values for GE of solids measured with the (13) C-OBT using a standardized methodology were determined in healthy children. We propose to use this method and corresponding reference ranges to study GE of solids in children with gastroin…
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The 13C breath test indirectly reflects solid meal gastric emptying, providing a radiation-free option for repeated measurements and for use in children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women.
“It indirectly reflects solid meal gastric emptying, providing a radiation-free option for repeated measurements and for use in children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women [67, 68].”
From Diabetic gastroparesis: pathophysiology and impact on insulin timing choices (2026) · cites this paper as [68]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
<sup>13</sup>C‐gastric emptying breath tests: Clinical use in adults and children
Keller, J., Hammer, H. F., & Hauser, B. (2021) · Neurogastroenterology & Motility · doi:10.1111/nmo.14172 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citationDiabetic gastroparesis: pathophysiology and impact on insulin timing choices
Galeano, F., Tumminia, A., Oteri, V., Le Moli, R., Piticchio, T., Scilletta, S., Di Marco, M., Di Pino, A., & Frasca, F. (2026) · Endocrine · doi:10.1007/s12020-026-04693-6
“It indirectly reflects solid meal gastric emptying, providing a radiation-free option for repeated measurements and for use in children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women [67, 68].”
- Authors
- Hauser, B., Roelants, M., De Schepper, J., Veereman, G., Caveliers, V., Devreker, T., De Greef, E., & Vandenplas, Y.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE)
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Department of Paediatrics Universitair Kinderziekenhuis Brussel Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Hauser, B.
- Venue
- Neurogastroenterology & Motility
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-04-20
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1480-1487
- ISSN
- 1350-1925 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2982
- OpenAlex
- W2340604807
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 2.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neurogastroenterology & Motility (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VUBIR (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Gastrointestinal disorders and treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
- Keywords
- gastric emptying, solids, 13C-octanoic acid breath test, reference values, children, gastric emptying half-time, technetium-99m scintigraphy, upper gastrointestinal symptoms, age differences, test meal
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Breath Tests, Caprylates, Carbon Isotopes, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Gastric Emptying, Humans, Infant, Male, Reference Standards, Spectrophotometry, Infrared, Meals
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
