Abnormal small-bowel motility demonstrated by radiotelemetry in a patient with irritable colon.

Jejunal motility was recorded for 47 h by telemetry from a tethered ingested radio-pill in a patient with irritable colon. In fasted controls, motor complexes are as frequent at night as during the day; the patient with irritable colon had a pronounced reduction in complexes when awake. Two prolonged episodes of pain were associated with irregular contractile activity, and ended when cyclical interdigestive activity resumed. This study suggests that irritable colon may be a disorder affecting the upper digestive tract.