About Ambulatory pH Monitoring

Ambulatory pH monitoring provides information about the duration, pattern and symptom correlation of distal esophageal acid exposure from gastroesophageal reflux.

With traditional pH monitoring systems, a catheter is inserted through the patient's nose and into the esophagus. Wires connect the catheter to a portable device that records pH levels.

The Given Imaging catheter-free monitoring system utilizes a small pH capsule (about the size of a gel cap) that is temporarily attached to the wall of the esophagus. The capsule transmits pH data wirelessly via radio frequency telemetry to a pager-sized receiver worn by the patient.

Catheter-free pH monitoring provides significant benefits to patients:

• Allows patients to maintain regular diet and activities¹



• Better tolerated than catheter-based tests²



• Eliminates social embarrassment that accompanies traditional pH testing with no visible indication that pH test is taking place³

How It Helps Diagnose GERD

Ambulatory pH monitoring provides measures of the severity and frequency of acid reflux.

 

Catheter-free pH testing provides several diagnostic benefits:

• Extends pH data collection to 48 hours — a full 24 hours beyond the recording capability of conventional catheter systems



• Better reflects patients physiologic condition when patients maintain regular diet and activities^1,4



• Double the data: increasing the ability of documenting relationships between atypical symptoms and reflux events.^3-5

References

1. Hirano I, Richter JE; Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. ACG practice guidelines: esophageal reflux testing. Am J Gastroenterol. 2007;102(3):668-685.



2. Wong WM, Bautista J, Dekel R, et al. Feasibility and tolerability of transnasal/per-oral placement of the wireless pH capsule vs. traditional 24-h oesophageal pH monitoring–a randomized trial. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2005;21(2):155-163.



3. Ahlawat SK, Novak DJ, Williams DC, Maher KA, Barton F, Benjamin SB. Day-to-day variability in reflux events using the Bravo pH monitoring system. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006;40(1):20-24.



4. Tseng D, Rizvi AZ, Fennerty MB, et al. Forty-eight-hour pH monitoring increases sensitvity in detecting abnormal esophageal acid exposure. J Gastrointest Surg. 2005;9(8):1043-1052.



5. Prakash C, Clouse RE. Value of extended recording time with wireless pH monitoring in evaluating gastroesophasgeal reflux disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005;3(4):329-334.