Prevalence, characteristics and factors associated with falls among the elderly living at home.

Attempts to determine the underlying causes of falls have come to conflicting conclusions, partly because subject groups studied have not been representative of all elderly people. Two hundred and three randomly selected people of 75 years and over, living at home, were visited and questioned about falls experienced in the previous 12 months, and about factors that might be related to falling. Eighty-six subjects (42.

Control of belching by the lower oesophageal sphincter.

The mechanism that controls venting of gas from the stomach into the oesophagus was studied manometrically in 14 healthy subjects. The stomach was distended abruptly with one litre of carbon dioxide. Gas reflux was characterised by an abrupt increase in basal oesophageal body pressure to intragastric pressure.

Effect of cisapride on postprandial gastro-oesophageal reflux.

We studied the effect of cisapride on oesophageal motor function and postprandial gastro-oesophageal reflux in a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover study. In 16 patients with symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux, cisapride 10 mg orally and placebo were studied on separate days according to identical protocols. Cisapride and placebo were given 30 minutes before a standard meal.

Motor activity of the gastric antrum, pylorus, and duodenum under fasted conditions and after a liquid meal.

Because the mechanisms that control the movement of food and digestive juices across the human pylorus are not completely understood, the aim of this study was to document the normal patterns of pressure activity in the antrum, pylorus, and duodenum and the associated pH changes in 9 healthy volunteers. Studies were carried out under fasting conditions and after ingestion of 300 ml of chocolate milk, using a unique 11-channel intraluminal probe that incorporated a sleeve sensor positioned across the pylorus and pH electrodes situated in the terminal antrum and proximal duodenum. The most common motor pattern recorded under fasting conditions consisted of regular coordinated contractions, most of which (a) involved the antrum and duodenum, (b) showed evidence of propagation through two or more adjacent channels, and (c) were associated with transient reductions in duodenal pH and transient elevations in antral pH.

Antropyloroduodenal motor responses to intraduodenal lipid infusion in healthy volunteers.

The delivery of lipid to the duodenum has been shown to slow gastric emptying and to increase the resistance to gastric outflow. To investigate mechanisms responsible for these effects, we have recorded antropyloroduodenal motility in nine healthy volunteers during alternate intraduodenal infusions of normal saline and triglyceride emulsion (Intralipid 10%). During the lipid infusions there were reproducible, major changes in the patterns of motility.