Improved Colonic Transit Test Using Barium Strips And Its Applications In Healthy Volunteers And Chronic Constipation Patients

Objective: To investigate the relationship among the colonic transit time(CTT), gender, age and different feeding habits in Chinese healthy volunteers Method: 180 adults were randomly included in our study. 15 men and 15 women in each of the three different age groups were recruited in both of Hubei province (mainly living on rice)and Henan province(mainly living on wheaten food). Every volunteer ingested 20 slender barium marks at the beginning of the experiment; then swallowed 20 round barium marks 12h later; and thereafter every 12h, 20 tubbiness barium markers were taken in separate four times. The abdominal plain film was performed 48hand 72h after the first ingestion of the barium strips. The exclusion ratio of barium strips at the different points, total colon transit time(CTT), right colon transit time(RCTT), left colon transit time(LCTT) and recto-sigmoid colon transit(RSCTT)could be calculated. Result:①The exclusion ratio of barium strips at 36h,48h,60h and 72h in 180 healthy Chinese were 84.00±20.31,92.86±14.14,96.50±9.70 and 97.61±7.43. The exclusion ratio of barium strips at 36h,48h and 72h time point were much higher in male volunteers than in female ones (p<0.05). The difference in 36h and 48h exclusion ratio of barium strips were significant among three age groups(p<0.05).②The RCTT,LCTT,RSCTT and CTT were 8.08±4.66,5.09±6.86,7.73±7.58 and 20.90±12.26in 180 healthy adults. The female volunteers present longer CTT than male volunteers (p<0.05). The upper limit of normal value in Chinese population (Mean+2SD)was 45h(male:39h ;female:50h). However, the difference of transit time in different age group was not significant. The RCTT,LCTT and CTT in healthy volunteers of Hubei province were much slower than those in Henan province (p<0.05)..Conclusion: The colonic transit time is shorter in Chinese healthy adults rather than western countries. Both gender and feeding habit effect CTT, while there were no significant difference in CTT among ages.Objective: To investigate the influencing factors of the colonic transit time in Chinese healthy volunteers. Method: 180 adults were randomly included in our study. The colon transit time and the exclusion ratio of barium strips at different time points were determined in all volunteers. We discussed the influencing factors of colonic transit time. Result:①Smoking and drinking will extend colonic transit time, reduce the exclusion of barium, making slow colonic transit.②The rise in the BMI was directly related to the exclusion ratio of barium strips(P <0.05)and inversely related to the colonic transit time(P<0.05).③The rise in the average daily fluid intake was directly related to the exclusion ratio of barium strip(sP<0.05)and inversely related to the colonic transit time(P<0.05).④Frequency of defecation was directly related to the exclusion ratio of barium strips(P<0.05)and inversely related to the colonic transit time(P<0.05). Conclusion: The colonic transit time was inversely related to the BMI. Smoking and drinking may extend colonic transit time.Objective: The main purpose was the following three aspects: 1. The general symptoms in constipation patients ; 2. the application of the colonic transit test in the cases of constipation patients ; 3. barium colonic transit test in the diagnosis of output obstructive constipation . Method: 112 constipation patients were included in our study. The colon transit time and the exclusion ratio of barium strips at different time points were determined in all patients. Result:①The daily fluid intake in most patients with constipation (more than 70%) were less than 2L; The IBS-C patients were more likely with irregular bowel habits than FC patients, the difference was statistically significant.②The anorectal manometry was done in 76 FC patients and 36 patients with IBS-C ; FC and IBS-C patients with no relaxation of anal sphincter during defecation were 34 and 14, respectively, the difference was not statistically significant (P <0.05).③The exclusion of barium strips at each time points in FC and IBS-C patients were significantly lower than the normal population(P <0.05). Compared with healthy volunteers, RCTT, LCTT, RSCTT and CTT in the FC and IBS-C patients were significantly prolonged, suggesting that the colonic transit were significantly slower than the normal. Compared with FC patients, RCTT in IBS-C patients was significantly longer, the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05).Conclusion: The colonic transit in patients with FC and IBS-C were significantly lower than the normal population; defecation of anal sphincter without relaxation cause slow colonic transit.