Prolonged gastric stasis of enteric-coated granules.

A 90-year-old woman with reflux oesophagitis had been receiving a regimen of a generic brand of lansoprazole (15 mg/day), an aspirin tablet (81 mg), and anti-hypertensive medicines. In 2008 she underwent a gastroduodenoscopic examination more than 3 hours after ingesting these medicines. The endoscopy revealed white substances in the antrum and an oval-shaped agglomeration of granules in the stomach body. No specific findings such as pylorus stenosis were confirmed. Because the lansoprazole capsule was designed to dissolve in the intestine, the therapeutic concentration could not be obtained in the blood until 3 hours after the ingestion. When prescribing medication for elderly people with gastrointestinal hypomotility, physicians should note the bioavailability of the drugs, especially when using delayed-release capsules with enteric-coated granules inside.