A comparison of the gastric retention of a sucralfate gel and a sucralfate suspension

TWO Sucralfate formulations, a gel and a suspension, were radiolabelled with Tc-99m and were administered to healthy subjects. Gastrointestinal transit was monitored using a gamma camera. Both preparations coated the gastric mucosa, but there was a greater tendency for the gel to adhere to the walls of the stomach and oesophagus. Overall, the clearance rates from the stomach were similar for both preparations; the mean half-times for gastric emptying being 1.2 h for the gel and 1.1 h for the suspension. Small intestinal transit times for the gel and suspension were 3.8 and 4.1 h, respectively. Both preparations could be detected in the stomach for approximately 5 h after dosing. The gel provided the more extensive stomach coating, even though the dose was half that of the suspension.