How to assess regional and whole gut transit time with wireless motility capsule.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and clinical overview without original human data or systematic review methodology.
PubMed 24840380 · doi:10.5056/jnm.2014.20.2.265
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the clinical use, sensor technology (pH, pressure, temperature), and diagnostic utility of the wireless motility capsule (WMC) for measuring regional and whole gut transit times.
What was found
The review outlines reference ranges for normal transit: gastric emptying (2–5 hours), small bowel transit (2–6 hours), colonic transit (10–59 hours), and whole gut transit (10–73 hours). Indications include evaluating gastroparesis, constipation, and generalized dysmotility. No original experimental data or numbers beyond reference intervals were reported.
Why it matters
WMC provides a non-invasive, radiation-free, office-based tool to evaluate multiple gastrointestinal segments in a single test, aiding clinical decision-making in motility disorders.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents no original empirical data or systematic synthesis. Abstracted clinical limitations of the capsule include swallowing difficulty, rare retention, and potential device malfunction.
Cited by
- contradicts Complete digestion and absorption of ingested food calories takes approximately 30 hours from the time food is eaten.