Validation of the 13C-octanoic acid breath test for measurement of equine gastric emptying rate of solids using radioscintigraphy.
Authors: Sutton D G M, Bahr A, Preston T, Christley R M, Love S, Roussel A J
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Disordered gastric motility contributes to several equine conditions, yet practical field-based methods for measuring solid-phase gastric emptying have remained elusive, despite the availability of validated tests for liquid emptying. Researchers compared the 13C-octanoic acid breath test (13C-OABT)—a non-invasive stable isotope technique—against radioscintigraphy (the gold standard) by administering a dual-labelled test meal containing both 13C-octanoic acid and technetium-99m to twelve healthy horses, then simultaneously collecting gastric scintigraphs and serial breath samples to measure emptying kinetics including half-emptying time (t½) and lag phase duration (tlag). Strong correlations emerged between both techniques for t½ and tlag measurements, with scintigraphic findings also correlating significantly to the breath test's gastric emptying coefficient (all P < 0.001). The 13C-OABT is validated as a reliable, field-appropriate diagnostic tool for quantifying solid-phase gastric emptying in horses, offering practitioners and researchers a safe, non-invasive alternative to scintigraphy for investigating motility disorders and their role in equine disease without the logistical demands or radiation exposure of imaging studies.
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Practical Takeaways
- •A new field-applicable breath test can now measure gastric solid emptying in horses without requiring scintigraphy, enabling routine clinical assessment of gastric motility disorders
- •The test is safe, noninvasive, and easy to perform in practice settings, making it practical for investigating unexplained poor performance or recurrent colic
- •This validation opens opportunities for research and diagnosis of motility-related conditions that may contribute to various equine disorders
Key Findings
- •13C-octanoic acid breath test showed significant correlation (P < 0.001) with scintigraphic measurement of gastric half-emptying time (t1/2) in horses
- •13C-OABT also significantly correlated with scintigraphic measurement of lag phase duration (tlag) and gastric emptying coefficient (P < 0.001)
- •The 13C-octanoic acid breath test is a reliable, noninvasive, safe diagnostic procedure for measuring solid-phase gastric emptying rate in horses