Gastric residual volume in adults; comparison of erythromycin and metoclopramide as prokinetic agents

Objective: to evaluate the effects of pre-operative erythromycin and metoclopromide on gastric residual volume in patients undergoing elective surgery and effectiviness of erythromycin as alternative of metoclopromide. methods: in this experimental study 120 patients of asa p1 & p2 status,age 17 to 50 years of both sex undergoing general anaesthesia for elective surgery were selected and divided in two groups (60 each) and asked not to eat solid food 8 hours,and liquids 3 hours. no premedication was given. group i received oral metoclopramide 10mg 2 hours before surgery with 10ml of water. group ii received oral erythromycin 250mg 2 hours before surgery with 10ml of water. blind aspiration through (18f) orogastric tube done after induction of general anaesthesia with 50 cc syringe and volume were recorded on proforma. results: group i (metoclopamide) had mean gastric fluid volume 11.07 + 6.68 ml and group ii (erythromycin) 8.32 + 5.76. the p value was. 017 which is statistically significant. conclusion: both drugs reduce gastric fluid volume but the effect of erythromycin (250mg) is more pronounced than metoclopramide (10mg) and can be used as an alternative to metoclopramide.