What is Esophageal pH Impedance?
Esophageal pH Impedance is a test used to measure the amount of acid refluxing from your stomach into the esophagus. For this procedure, a thin catheter is passed into one nostril, down the back of the throat, and into the esophagus as you swallow. The other end of the small catheter comes out of the nose and is connected to a small battery-powered recorder. You will be sent home with the catheter and recorder in place. During the 24 hours that the catheter is in place, you can go about your usual activities, for example, eating, sleeping, and working. After 24 hours, the catheter is removed. There is a variation of this procedure called a BRAVO capsule in which your doctor will perform an upper endoscopy and cinch a BRAVO capsule to your lower esophagus. This device will transmit information about your reflux to a recording device you will wear. The BRAVO capsule will fall off on its own after just a few days.
