Abstract
An innovative method for the measurement of intestinal fat absorption with 14C-labeled tripalmitate is being investigated. Five microcuries of glyceryl 14C-tripalmitate are administered orally. The maximum specific activity of the 14CO2 contained in the patient’s expiration at 3–5 hr is directly proportional to the intestinal absorption of fat. It is hoped that this test will provide an inexpensive, technically simple, yet sensitive, alternative to present 24- and 48-hr collected fecal fat determinations. Since nuclear medicine departments are being asked to make this test available on a routine clinical basis, this paper is intended to aid the technologist in establishing such a procedure.