Influences on the occurrence of dumping syndrome.

A dumping provocation test using 50% of glucose solution labeled with Indium 115 m, was performed on 146 occasions pre- and postoperatively in 85 patients. Dumping elicited by the test was defined by the symptoms produced by the test and various objective measures of dumping. The influence of various factors other than the type of operation on the occurrence of dumping has been studied in detail. The incidence of dumping symptoms induced by the test has shown no significant correlation with age, sex, weight, height, smoking habits, race, dose of hypertonic glucose, and the time elapsed since surgery. However, a significant relationship has been observed between the duration of ulcer symptoms before operation and the occurrence of dumping symptoms induced by the test. The test not only reproduced the symptoms patients had reported after eating ordinary foods, it also helped in eliminating patients with borderline symptoms as our objective measures collectively differentiated three patients from those with the dumping syndrome.