Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>

(1) Background: This study validates multichannel impedance/pH (MII/pH) sensors to measure oesophageal impedance transit (EZT). (2) Methods: EZT involved patients rapidly drinking 200 mL of saline during their MII/pH test. During the EZT study, the oesophageal pH sensor was used to exclude gastric a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ismail Miah, Terry Wong, Sebastian Zeki, Jafar Jafari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3334
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849722254079819776
author Ismail Miah
Terry Wong
Sebastian Zeki
Jafar Jafari
author_facet Ismail Miah
Terry Wong
Sebastian Zeki
Jafar Jafari
author_sort Ismail Miah
collection DOAJ
description (1) Background: This study validates multichannel impedance/pH (MII/pH) sensors to measure oesophageal impedance transit (EZT). (2) Methods: EZT involved patients rapidly drinking 200 mL of saline during their MII/pH test. During the EZT study, the oesophageal pH sensor was used to exclude gastric acid reflux occurring and interfering with the oesophageal transit. EZTs were compared between (i) asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with dysphagia and (ii) barium swallow study outcomes for normal oesophageal transit and retention. Statistical <i>t</i>-tests, chi-squared tests, receiver operating characteristic curves with Youden’s J Index and regression analysis were conducted. (3) Results: A total of 458 patients (265 females) undertook the transit test during their MII/pH test. Prolonged EZT was found in patients with symptomatic dysphagia (<i>t</i>-statistics 4.28–4.43, <i>p</i> < 0.001) with the cut-off threshold at 1 min in the distal oesophagus for dysphagia symptoms (sensitivity 0.81, specificity 0.75). EZT was significantly higher in patients with retention on the BS test (<i>t</i>-statistics 7.29–8.91, <i>p</i> < 0.001), with the distal oesophageal cut-off threshold at 3.7 min being predictive for retention (sensitivity 0.79, specificity 0.93). Increased EZT in the distal oesophagus showed a direct positive correlation to higher dysphagia severity (r = 0.67, <i>p</i> < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: MII/pH sensors provide a platform to measure oesophageal transit, which was able to explain dysphagia from poor oesophageal clearance and predict the BS test outcome.
format Article
id doaj-art-bd02a54d02874f8cba53dd79c4f1efd6
institution DOAJ
issn 1424-8220
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Sensors
spelling doaj-art-bd02a54d02874f8cba53dd79c4f1efd62025-08-20T03:11:24ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-05-012511333410.3390/s25113334Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>Ismail Miah0Terry Wong1Sebastian Zeki2Jafar Jafari3Oesophageal Laboratory, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Trust, London SE1 9RT, UKOesophageal Laboratory, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Trust, London SE1 9RT, UKOesophageal Laboratory, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Trust, London SE1 9RT, UKOesophageal Laboratory, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Trust, London SE1 9RT, UK(1) Background: This study validates multichannel impedance/pH (MII/pH) sensors to measure oesophageal impedance transit (EZT). (2) Methods: EZT involved patients rapidly drinking 200 mL of saline during their MII/pH test. During the EZT study, the oesophageal pH sensor was used to exclude gastric acid reflux occurring and interfering with the oesophageal transit. EZTs were compared between (i) asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with dysphagia and (ii) barium swallow study outcomes for normal oesophageal transit and retention. Statistical <i>t</i>-tests, chi-squared tests, receiver operating characteristic curves with Youden’s J Index and regression analysis were conducted. (3) Results: A total of 458 patients (265 females) undertook the transit test during their MII/pH test. Prolonged EZT was found in patients with symptomatic dysphagia (<i>t</i>-statistics 4.28–4.43, <i>p</i> < 0.001) with the cut-off threshold at 1 min in the distal oesophagus for dysphagia symptoms (sensitivity 0.81, specificity 0.75). EZT was significantly higher in patients with retention on the BS test (<i>t</i>-statistics 7.29–8.91, <i>p</i> < 0.001), with the distal oesophageal cut-off threshold at 3.7 min being predictive for retention (sensitivity 0.79, specificity 0.93). Increased EZT in the distal oesophagus showed a direct positive correlation to higher dysphagia severity (r = 0.67, <i>p</i> < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: MII/pH sensors provide a platform to measure oesophageal transit, which was able to explain dysphagia from poor oesophageal clearance and predict the BS test outcome.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3334oesophagustransitimpedancephysiologybarium swallowgastroenterology
spellingShingle Ismail Miah
Terry Wong
Sebastian Zeki
Jafar Jafari
Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>
Sensors
oesophagus
transit
impedance
physiology
barium swallow
gastroenterology
title Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>
title_full Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>
title_fullStr Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>
title_full_unstemmed Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>
title_short Validating Impedance/pH Sensors for Measuring Oesophageal Transit: <i>A Study Based on Dysphagia and Barium Swallow</i>
title_sort validating impedance ph sensors for measuring oesophageal transit i a study based on dysphagia and barium swallow i
topic oesophagus
transit
impedance
physiology
barium swallow
gastroenterology
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3334
work_keys_str_mv AT ismailmiah validatingimpedancephsensorsformeasuringoesophagealtransitiastudybasedondysphagiaandbariumswallowi
AT terrywong validatingimpedancephsensorsformeasuringoesophagealtransitiastudybasedondysphagiaandbariumswallowi
AT sebastianzeki validatingimpedancephsensorsformeasuringoesophagealtransitiastudybasedondysphagiaandbariumswallowi
AT jafarjafari validatingimpedancephsensorsformeasuringoesophagealtransitiastudybasedondysphagiaandbariumswallowi