ISSN:
1365-2036
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the pancreatic enzyme preparation Kreon on abdominal symptoms, bowel habits, faecal fat excretion and oro-caecal transit time in patients after total gastrectomy for carcinoma of the stomach with Roux-en-Y anastomosis. A hydrogen breath test was carried out in each patient to detect bacterial overgrowth.In a double-blind crossover trial, 15 patients were treated with either Kreon or placebo (3.6 g/day) in two test-periods each of seven days.During treatment with the active substance, the stool consistency became more solid (P 〈 0.05). The number of bowel movements and the abdominal symptoms, however, remained statistically unchanged.Treatment with Kreon did not influence the oro-caecal transit time. Faecal fat excretion did not significantly decrease in the whole group of patients. However, in those patients with massive steatorrhoea (free and esterified fatty acids 〉 350 mmol/72 h; upper reference limit 60 mmol/72 h) a significant (P 〈 0.05) reduction from a median excretion of 643 mmol/72 h to 501 mmol/72 h was seen. Such a decrease in faecal fat excretion did not occur in patients with steatorrhoea below this limit. Bacterial overgrowth or rapid upper intestinal transit were not over-represented in patients with a high-degree of steatorrhoea.We conclude that after total gastrectomy pancreatic enzyme substitution reduces massive steatorrhoea and improves stool consistency.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.1988.tb00722.x
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