Science desk
< July 25	<< Jun \| July \| Aug >>	July 27 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Science Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

July 26

Stomach usually gurgles on the left side

This question is not for diagnosis but for curiosity. I hear that my stomach usually gurgles on the left side rather than on the right. Why most of the gurgles occur on the left side rather than about the same on both sides? Planet Star 05:32, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Your stomach is mostly on the left side of your body. --76.69.47.228 (talk) 05:47, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

But the gurgles sometimes occur on the right side of the abdomen. The stomach were referring to is a bean-shaped organ above the intestines. The gurgles doesn't just occur in the stomach, it also occurs in the intestine, which is evenly spread from left to right. Maybe most gurgles occurring on the right side is intestinal gurgles, but maybe most intestinal gurgles occur on the left side; if so, what's the cause of occurring mostly on one side of the intestine? Planet Star 04:33, 27 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose that what is gurgling is not the stomach as a whole but the pylorus, which is clearly located on one side of the body, by most humans the right one. Maybe you have it on the other side? Also gurgling of the intestine is possibly not evenly distributed but happens e.g. only at the interface between colon and ileum, or only in its descending or ascending but not horizontal segments. 194.174.76.21 (talk) 16:07, 27 July 2018 (UTC) Marco Pagliero Berlin[reply]

Not eating or drinking before surgery

A family member had to have several minor surgeries, I made a comment to the doctor that "your instructions said no food or drink after midnight for a 7AM surgery, and later we got the exact same instructions for a 5PM surgery." To his credit, he listened and now gives the instruction "no food for ten hours before the surgery, and no water for four hours before the surgery". Needless to say, we follow the instructions no matter what they are. Only an idiot ignores doctors orders.

This got me to thinking and researching. I believe that these restrictions are to reduce the chance of you vomiting while under anesthesia and then sucking some of that stomach acid down your windpipe. So has anyone done a study about how long food and water stay in the stomach? And does the sphincter valve that empties the stomach slowly meter out the contents to the intestines or does it let the stomach work on the food for a while and then dump the result into the intestines? Please note that I am asking for sources, not opinions. --Guy Macon (talk) 06:53, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

You are correct about the purpose: see nil per os and aspiration pneumonia. Chyme states, with no given source: Depending on the quantity and contents of the meal, the stomach will digest the food into chyme in anywhere between 40 minutes to a few hours. However, you can vomit material from the small intestine if vomiting is sufficiently vigorous; such vomiting can often be identified by the presence of greenish bile in the vomit. It sounds like they want all food to have passed into the large intestine. --47.146.63.87 (talk) 07:10, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Good info. I see that Nothing by mouth says "The American Board of Anesthesiology recommends that patients should not eat solid food for at least 8 hours prior to a procedure, and should not drink even clear liquids for at least 2 hours prior". Looks like the doctor added a couple of hours to that just to be safe. Also, he has you show up two hours before the surgery and they put you on an IV, so from a standpoint of thirst/dehydration its only two hours with no water.

As a passing note, if the stomach empties too quickly after for instance gastric reduction surgery it causes the imaginatively named Dumping syndrome, not a pleasant experience. Richard Avery (talk) 12:30, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Does anyone know how long it takes for food to get past the "vomiting from the small intestine" state? And whether it can happen under anesthesia? --Guy Macon (talk) 17:42, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not finding anything definitive and searching has already ruined my lunch. :) I will point out the article on fecal vomiting, which suggests that, in rare cases, there is not really a limit (unless it's already pooped out the other end). Matt Deres (talk) 17:44, 27 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Small intestine transit time ranges from 15 minutes to 5 hours. In 83% of those studied, transit time was less than 2 hours, and mean transit time was 84 minutes. [1] Probably once you're past the duodenum the exit route will no longer be up. - Nunh-huh 17:58, 27 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Seeking an identification for this caterpillar found in garden. Somerset UK

Hi folks

I found this caterpillar in the garden this afternoon and I'm hoping someone can identify it. It was about 4 inches inches long and fairly thick. I've attached some pics the last of which was after I had gently brushed against it with a twig, this appears to have made it change it's head shape into something broader and more threatening, as a defensive measure no doubt.

This was all happening in Somerset UK in case that helps identify the creature.

Many thanks Gareth — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hermitical (talk • contribs) 20:18, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like a Deilephila elpenor, an Elephant Hawk Moth.Mikenorton (talk) 20:52, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

(ec)I googled "caterpillars with segments that look like eyes" an this ite turned up: [2] They actually think it looks like a snake. Be that as it may, they're saying it's the "Deilephila elpenor, known as the Elephant Hawk-moth". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:53, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

And given Mikenorton's confirmation, it looks like you've got some new illustrations to add to the article! ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:55, 26 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Many thanks for all your help. It was an incredible sight! Do you really think I should add any/all of these photos to the Deilephila elpenor article? Hermitical (talk) 18:04, 27 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

You could add them to commons:Category:Deilephila elpenor (caterpillar). Mikenorton (talk) 18:30, 27 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]