Human electrogastrograms. Comparison of surface and mucosal recordings.

A method to record the gastric basic electrical rhythm (BER) using skin electrodes is described. Correlation is made with mucosal suction electrodes in 20 volunteers. Successful simultaneous recording from surface electrodes and mucosal electrodes is made in 16/20 subjects (80%). An increase in amplitude of the recorded gastric BER with gastric contractions is demonstrated and discussed. Five patients with gastric motility disturbances and chronic nausea are also investigated. Four of these patients had diabetic gastroparesis. Each had preservation of the gastric BER. The rate was usually normal at three per minute, but during acute nausea episodes which occurred in three of the four, an abnormally increased rate of the BER (tachygastria) was seen. This finding was also seen in a subject with atrophic gastritis and delay of gastric emptying. The surface electrogastrogram may prove to be a useful tool for the investigation of patients with suspected gastric arrhythmias.