To evaluate the effect of Bicitra® (Willen Drug Company, Baltimore, Maryland), a commercial preparation of sodium citrate and metoclopramide, on gastric contents 150 elective outpatients allocated into six groups with 25 patients in each group were studied. Patients in Group 1 served as controls. Patients in Groups 2, 3, 5, and 6 received Bicitra®, po, either 15 ml (Groups 2 and 5) or 30 ml (Groups 3 and 6). In addition, patients in Groups 5 and 6 also received metoclopramide 10 mg, iv; Group 4 patients received metoclopramide 10 mg, iv. Eighty-eight per cent of patients in the control group had a gastricpH ≤ 2.5, while 36% had a gastric content volume ≥ 25 ml withpH ≤ 2.5. Bicitra®, 15 ml and 30 ml, po, increased mean gastricpH and decreased the proportion of patients with a gastricpH ≤ 2.5 to 32 and 16%, respectively, in Groups 2 and 3. However, Bicitra® 15 ml and 30 ml, increased the mean gastric volume in Group 3 and also increased the proportion of patients with a gastric volume ≥ 25 ml to 56% in Group 2 and 84% in Group 3. The addition of metoclopramide 10 mg, iv, to Bicitra® reduced the proportion of patients with a gastric volume ≥ 25 ml in Groups 5 and 6 to 28 and 36%, respectively. Metoclopramide (Group 6) independently reduced mean gastric volume (15.6 mlvs.32.7 ml) and the proportion of patients with a gastric volume ≥ 25 ml (20%vs36%). Bicitra® and metoclopramide combination significantly reduced the proportion of patients with gastric contents ≥ 25 ml withpH ≤ 2.5.