Health Encyclopedia


bookmarks-menu

Secretin stimulation test

Secretin stimulation test

Secretin stimulation test

Secretin stimulation test is a test that measures the ability of the pancreas to respond to secretin. Secretin is a hormone secreted by the small intestines in the presence of partially digested food from the stomach; this hormone normally stimulates the pancreas to secrete a fluid with a high concentration of bicarbonate. This fluid neutralizes the acidity from the stomach that is necessary for a number of enzymes to function in the breakdown and absorption of food.

In order to perform the test a tube is passed through the nose into the stomach then into the duodenum. Secretin is administered and the contents of the duodenal secretions are aspirated and analyzed over a period of about 2 hours. People with diseases involving the pancreas, such as chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatic cancer, may have abnormal pancreatic function.

 
Review Date: 11/3/2022

Reviewed By

Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Disclaimer

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


 
© 1997-ADAM Company Logo All rights reserved.