Acid perfusion test
for Gastroesophageal reflux disease
The acid perfusion (Bernstein) test is used to determine if
chest pain is caused by acid reflux. For the acid perfusion test, a thin tube is
passed through one nostril, down the back of the throat, and into the middle of
the esophagus. A dilute, acid solution and a physiologic salt solution (similar
to the fluid that bathes the body's cells) are alternately poured (perfused)
through the catheter and into the esophagus. The patient is unaware of which
solution is being infused. If the perfusion with acid provokes the patient's
usual pain and perfusion of the salt solution produces no pain, it is likely
that the patient's pain is caused by acid reflux.
The acid perfusion test, however, is used only rarely. A
better test for correlating pain and acid reflux is a 24-hour esophageal pH or
pH capsule study during which patients note when they are having pain.
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