Determination of Gastric Acidity without Intubation by Use of Cation Exchange Indicator Compounds.

Abstract

The cation exchange resins called Amberlite IRC-50 and Amberlite XE-96, which derive their exchange activity from the carboxylic acid groups, were allowed to take up a specific amt. of quininium cations to form an indicator compound called quininium resin indicator compound. Since the quininium cations of this compound are displaced by the H cations of HCl in the gastric juice and, when so displaced, are then absorbed in the small intestine and excreted in the urine, the examination of the urine for quininium cations determines the presence or absence of free gastric HCl without subjecting the patient to intubation. Because some of the quininium cations may be displaced by cations present in the small intestine secretions, the time relationship between the oral admn. of the indicator compound and the appearance of the quinine in the urine is taken into consideration. Examination of the urine extracts for quininium cations after the oral admn. of this resin indicator compound to 38 patients with free gastric HC1 and 25 patients with no free HC1 has demonstrated the validity of this test.