Abbott Vital® as an Alternative Meal to the Gold-standard Egg-white Sandwich for Gastric Emptying Scintigraphy (GES)

Abbott Vital® as an Alternative Meal to the Gold-standard Egg-white Sandwich for Gastric Emptying Scintigraphy (GES) Among Healthy Volunteers

This crossover study is designed to compare the rates of gastric emptying between two diagnostic radioactive meals using the gold-standard egg-white sandwich meal and Abbott Vital®. Healthy participants will be recruited and randomly assigned into either groups of Abbott Vital® and gold-standard egg-white sandwich group. The measurements will be performed over a 4-hour period using a gamma camera, and estimated gastric emptying rates will be calculated using established algorithms.

The gold-standard egg-white sandwich is quite difficult and complicated for staffs to prepare because the food needs to be cooked first and it will take time to prepare. Besides, the egg-white sandwich is not suitable for those with allergies to egg and bread and also to vegetarian patients. This gold-standard meal is also not a common meal for Asian people so some of the people may not tolerate with the meal. The aim of this study is to determine whether Abbott Vital® is as reliable as the gold-standard egg-white sandwich by comparing the gastric meal retention of both meals.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Normal body mass index (BMI)
• Able to give consent
• 18 years old above

Exclusion Criteria:

• Vegetarian
• Allergy or cannot tolerate with milk, egg, and bread
• Participants with past and current history of chronic medical illness
• Currently on medication that can affect gastrointestinal function are also excluded