The assessment of gastric acidity and antacid effect in pregnant women by a non-invasive radiotelemetry technique

Summary. Non-invasive radiotelemetry techniques were used for the in-vivo assessment of gastric acidity and the effect of antacids in non-pregnant women and women in the third trimester of pregnancy. A particulate (magnesium trisilicate mixture) and a non-particulate (sodium citrate) antacid were studied. There was no significant difference in basal gastric acidity and gut transit time between the pregnant and non-pregnant subjects. The median and range of values for the efficacy (defined as the integrated area under the pH/time curves) of sodium citrate was 138.3 pH.min (29.8–520.7) in the non-pregnant and 103.0 pH.min (54.3–375.6) in the pregnant subjects. The median and range of values for the duration of action of sodium citrate were 38.6 (18.1–147.4) min in the non-pregnant and 30.5 (20.0–119.1) min in the pregnant women. Magnesium trisilicate mixture resulted in a greater intragastric pH change and had a greater efficacy than sodium citrate, but the duration of action of the two antacids was similar.