Trimebutine-induced phase III-like activity in infants with intestinal motility disorders.

Duodenal manometric recordings were performed in five male children (mean age 11.7 +/- 6.8 months) suffering from severe digestive pathology with clinical findings of dysmotility; they required total parenteral nutrition: one case of enteropathy following intestinal resection for congenital small bowel atresia, and four cases of intestinal pseudoobstruction. The basal 3-h fasting recordings showed complete disorganization of interdigestive activity characterized by an absence of migrating motor complexes and a marked basal hypomotility with motor indices lower than in control subjects. Intravenous trimebutine (3 mg/kg) produced a phase III-like activity 88 +/- 121 s after administration in four cases. The activity lasted 236 +/- 105 s and had a mean frequency of 11.75 +/- 0.86 waves/min. It was propagated aborally in the two patients having two duodenal recording sites. Trimebutine-induced phase III activity was followed by signs of peristalsis in two patients.