TORONTO — A catheter-free capsule may be a viable alternative to conventional esophageal pH monitoring in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms, according to data from a retrospective study in 33 patients aged 10–18 years.
A notable advantage for children is that the capsule allows them to go to school and continue normal activities without a catheter hanging from their nose, Dr. Mirza Beg said during a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. The system is not indicated for the pediatric population.
Conventional esophageal monitoring uses a catheter, typically placed transnasally through the oropharynx into the esophagus. One end of the catheter protrudes from the nose and is connected to a battery-powered recorder worn by the patient.
The Bravo pH monitoring system (Medtronic Inc.) uses a capsule attached to the esophageal lining with a clip. It contains an acid probe and transmits pH data to a receiver worn by the patient for 48 hours, after which the patient returns the receiver to the physician and the data are downloaded. The capsule device falls off the lining after 5 or more days and is passed in the stool, reported Dr. Beg and his associates at the State University of New York (Syracuse) Upstate Medical University. The researchers were led by Dr. Manoochehr Karjoo. They disclosed no conflicts of interest with Medtronic and received no research support from it.
In the current study, Bravo monitoring was generally well-tolerated, and no significant complications were reported. Four patients had a mild sensation of substernal pain for 2 hours after placement. Most of the capsules were passed within 7–8 days.