How gastroparesis is diagnosed and treated

  Definition: Gastroparesis is a group of decreased gastric motility syndrome without mechanical obstruction of the gastric outflow tract for various reasons, but with delayed gastric emptying or retention as the main clinical manifestation, which is a complication of abdominal surgery, especially gastric surgery, and often lasts for more than 1 month, and the clinical management is tricky and very painful for patients. It is of great clinical significance to adopt correct and reasonable treatment methods.  Diagnostic criteria: 1. history; 2. one or more examinations (gastroscopy, upper gastrointestinal imaging) suggesting no mechanical obstruction of the gastric outflow tract, but gastric retention; 3. gastric drainage >800ml per day and lasting >10d; 4. no obvious disorders of water-electrolyte and acid-base balance; 5. no history of application of drugs affecting smooth muscle contraction.  Treatment: The treatment of gastroparesis is a comprehensive treatment based on conservative treatment, mainly using fasting, gastrointestinal decompression, nutritional support, maintaining water-electrolyte balance, avoiding sedatives and anticholinergics, in addition to the application of drugs, acupuncture, Chinese medicine and other comprehensive treatment.  Fasting, gastrointestinal decompression: reduce gastrointestinal load and edema of stomach wall tissue.  Warm saline gastric lavage: 3% warm saline gastric lavage promotes recovery of gastric motility.  Nutritional support: Nutritional support is essential for patients with gastroparesis, not only to replenish energy requirements, but also to maintain water and electrolyte balance and trace element supplementation, and there are two types of intravenous nutrition and enteral nutrition.  Intravenous nutrition: Since the patient cannot eat, the body is in negative nitrogen balance, so a deep venous catheter can be used to give intravenous high nutrition. Ensure the supply of protein, fat, trace elements, compound amino acids, various vitamins and electrolytes to the body.  Enteral nutrition: Enteral nutrition support can promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function, which is an effective measure for the treatment of gastroparesis. A nutrition tube is placed into the jejunum to infuse nutrition solution. Enteral nutrition helps maintain the integrity of intestinal mucosal cell structure and function, supports the intestinal mucosal barrier, makes the metabolism more in line with the physiological process, and reduces the incidence of liver and biliary complications.  Drug therapy: Drugs that promote gastrointestinal motility are mainly used. Domperidone (morpholine) accelerates gastric motility and coordinates gastroduodenal motility to promote the emptying of food in the stomach; metoclopramide (gastroflucan) has both central and peripheral effects. A new gastrointestinal motility promoter, procalcitonin, has dual effects of promoting gastrointestinal motility and colonic transit.  Erythromycin and its derivatives have the ability to rapidly correct disturbed gastric electrical rhythms and improve gastric emptying. The combination of gastrointestinal motility drugs can improve the symptoms of gastroparesis more effectively and shorten the hospital stay.  Psychological treatment can also reduce gastric tone and movement due to psychological factors. After the occurrence of gastroparesis, good communication with the patient should be established in time to eliminate concerns and build up confidence to overcome the disease.  Gastric electrical pacing (GES) is a new treatment method for gastroparesis developed in recent years. The pacing device is implanted in the muscle layer of the stomach wall through surgery or ultrasound endoscopy, and the slow wave frequency of the stomach is normalized by exogenous electrical stimulation. Low-frequency high-energy electrical stimulation not only restores the slow waves. It can also improve gastric emptying and relieve symptoms; low-energy electrical stimulation is effective in improving symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, and has limited effect on gastric emptying.  Chinese medicine treatment: Gastroparesis belongs to the category of “fullness” and “vomiting” in Chinese medicine. TCM believes that loss of drainage of the liver, disharmony of the liver and stomach, stagnation of qi, or weakness of the spleen and stomach, weakness of lifting and lowering, and abnormal transportation and transformation will cause disorder of gastrointestinal emptying. The treatment should be to dredge the liver and relieve depression, strengthen the spleen and stomach, move qi to relieve pain and eliminate stagnation, so that liver qi can be relieved, spleen qi can be raised, stomach qi can be lowered, stagnation can be eliminated and stagnation can be removed, then the pain can be stopped and all symptoms can be removed.  Chinese herbal medicine: Xiao Chai Hu Tang resolves Shao Yang and warms the stomach Qi. Rhubarb and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Soup, to remove heat and relax the bowels. Gardenia seeds, ginger and black bean soup, clearing and promoting heat and relieving vomiting. Da Chai Hu Tang resolves Shao Yang and clears the Yang Ming lining. Scutellaria baicalensis plus Radix et Rhizoma ginger, clearing internal heat, lowering rebellion and stopping vomiting. Da Han Xia Tang warms the stomach and stops vomiting. Wu Ju Ju Tang warms the stomach, warms the liver, subdues rebelliousness and tonifies deficiency. Rizhong Tang warms the middle and disperses cold, strengthens the spleen and dries dampness. Han Xia Tang warms the stomach, disperses diarrhea, subdues rebellion and stops vomiting. Fu Ling Ze Di Tang or Wu Ling San to promote Yang, dissolve Qi and promote water retention. Han Xia Gan Jiang San warms the stomach and disperses cold.  Acupuncture and moxibustion: Nei Guan, Foot San Li, Shang Ju Xu, Gong Sun. The Neiguan point has the effect of regulating qi and harmonizing the middle, regulating gastrointestinal function, inhibiting gastric acid secretion, and regulating intestinal motility. The Foot San Li point has the effect of regulating the spleen and stomach, regulating qi, activating blood, and supporting and cultivating the vital energy. The Shang Ju Xu point has the function of regulating the middle and stomach, opening the intestines and resolving stagnation, and has an adjusting effect on gastrointestinal function, which can enhance gastric motility. The Gongsun point has a significant adjusting effect on the movements of the stomach and small intestine, and is synergistic with the Neiguan point.  In conclusion, the etiology and pathogenesis of gastroparesis are not well defined, and gastroparesis is a multifactorial disease that requires combined treatment with multiple methods.