Esophageal pH monitoring is a test that measures how often and how
long stomach acid is entering the esophagus. A small thin tube is
introduced through the nose or mouth and into the stomach, which is
then drawn back up into the esophagus. The tube is attached to a
monitor which records the level of acidity in the esophagus. The
patient records symptoms and activity while the tube is left in
place for the next 24 hours. The information from the monitor is
compared to the diary the patient provides. This test is helpful in
determining the amount of stomach acid entering the esophagus.
Review Date: 11/11/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of
Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San
Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
