Gastric and Small Bowel Motility
Gastroparesis in the GLP-1 era, the 4-hour gastric emptying scintigraphy, and what to do when symptoms don't track with delayed emptying. Cyclic vomiting and cannabinoid hyperemesis, chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Ogilvie syndrome with neostigmine, and functional dyspepsia, each anchored to a testable management decision.
- Audio chapterAttending-narrated, listen on the commute.
- ABIM-format MCQs5-option vignettes with full wrong-answer teaching.
- Study guideTables, decision trees, primary sources.
- AI tutorChapter-grounded, answers the question you're stuck on.
What this chapter covers
- Section 8.1: Gastric motor physiology and gastroparesis pathogenesis
Gastric emptying is a coordinated act between three systems, and gastroparesis is what happens when any one of them fails.
- Section 8.2: Gastroparesis diagnosis
Gastroparesis cannot be diagnosed on symptoms alone because the symptoms (nausea, vomiting, early satiety, postprandial fullness, bloating, upper abdominal pain) overlap with functional dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastric outlet obstruction, cyclic vomiting syndrome, rumination, eating disorders, and chronic cannabinoid use.
- Section 8.3: Gastroparesis treatment
Gastroparesis treatment is a stepladder, and the first rungs are the most powerful.
- Section 8.4: Cyclic vomiting syndrome and CHS
Cyclic vomiting syndrome and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome share a striking clinical pattern of stereotyped vomiting episodes separated by symptom-free intervals, but they diverge on cause, on family history, and on treatment, and the boards split the two with a small number of high-yield clues.
- Section 8.5: Small bowel motility and pseudo-obstruction
Pseudo-obstruction is the syndrome of impaired propulsive motility that mimics mechanical obstruction without an occluding lesion.
- Section 8.6: Functional dyspepsia
Functional dyspepsia is the most common upper GI complaint in primary care and gastroenterology clinics, with a worldwide prevalence of 5 to 11 percent and up to 40 percent of affected patients seeking medical care.
Podcast episodes
- 01
Gastroparesis
This episode covers gastroparesis from mechanism through treatment, and the whole disease sits on one idea: emptying the stomach takes three systems working together, and gastroparesis is what happens when any one of them fails.
- 02
CVS Pseudo FD
This episode covers the episodic and functional presentations: cyclic vomiting syndrome, cannabinoid hyperemesis, intestinal pseudo- obstruction, and functional dyspepsia.