Orocecal transit time in patients with functional dyspepsia.

BACKGROUND

The importance of intestinal dysmotility in functional dyspepsia is a controversial issue.

GOALS: To investigate the orocecal transit time in patients with functional dyspepsia, as well as a possible association between intestinal transit and the presence of anxiety or Helicobacter pylori infection in these patients.

STUDY: The participants in this study were 23 patients with dysmotility-like functional dyspepsia and 24 control subjects. Orocecal transit time was measured by the lactulose hydrogen breath test. The presence of anxiety was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale.

RESULTS

No significant difference in orocecal transit times was found between patients (median, 55 minutes; 95% confidence interval [CI], 40-60 minutes) and control subjects (median, 50 minutes; 95% CI, 40-60 minutes; p = 1). In the assessment, 15 patients (73%) scored for anxiety on the HAD scale, and 15 patients (65%) had positive test results for H. pylori. There was no significant difference in orocecal transit times between the patients with (median, 55 minutes; 95% CI, 40-63 minutes) and those without H. pylori infection (50 minutes; 95% CI, 40-68 minutes; p = 0.85), or between the patients with (median, 45 minutes; 95% CI, 40-68 minutes) and those without (60 minutes; 95% CI, 40-63 minutes; p = 0.77) anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Orocecal transit time is within the normal range in patients with functional dyspepsia. Anxiety and H. pylori infection do not seem to influence orocecal transit time in these patients.