The normal range and a simple diagram for recording whole gut transit time.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Prospective descriptive study establishing normative reference ranges in healthy volunteers without a disease comparator group.
PubMed 1588218 · doi:10.1007/BF01647654
What was done
Whole gut transit time was measured using ingested radio-opaque markers in 25 healthy men and 18 healthy women (evaluated in both follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle). Subjects collected all stools after ingestion, excreted markers were counted on stool radiographs, and body marker retention was calculated at 12-hour intervals.
What was found
Mean values (2 standard deviations) for men and women across both menstrual phases were sufficiently similar to combine into a single normal range. Normal subjects retained more than 20% of markers within 12 hours and less than 80% after 120 hours. A clinical protocol was proposed using a single marker type imaged at 12 or 120 hours, or multiple marker types ingested on successive days and assessed via a single abdominal radiograph at 120 hours.
Why it matters
This study provides a practical, standardized normal reference range and a simplified radiographic protocol to assess whole gut transit time in clinical practice.
Limits
The sample size is small (n = 43) and limited entirely to healthy individuals without clinical validation in patient groups. Numerical data (exact transit times and intermediate retention rates) are not reported in the abstract, and potential dietary or lifestyle confounders were not specified.
Cited by
- contradicts Normal bowel transit time in a beet test is between 24 and 30 hours.