Gastric emptying in patients with chronic renal failure receiving hemodialysis.

Patients with renal failure requiring hemodialysis often suffer from nausea and vomiting. Gastric emptying has not been studied in these patients. To determine whether an abnormality of gastric emptying might account for symptoms in these patients, two groups of ten patients each were selected, one group with symptoms of nausea and vomiting and another without symptoms. Autonomic function was assessed in all patients. Fluid and solid gastric emptying rates were quantified utilizing a dual radionuclide technique. Half-emptying times for fluid and solid test meals were not statistically different from previous standards derived using the same methods in a normal population. Patients with chronic renal failure receiving hemodialysis have no demonstrable abnormality in gastric emptying, whether symptomatic or not.