BACKGROUND/AIM: Increased intra-abdominal pressure from abdominal compression augments esophageal peristalsis during high-resolution manometry (HRM), and straight leg raise (SLR) while supine increases intra-abdominal pressure. We determined if water swallows performed during SLR can mimic contraction reserve seen with multiple rapid swallows (MRS).

METHODS

Consecutive patients evaluated for GERD symptoms completed validated GERD questionnaires, esophageal HRM, and upper endoscopy. Distal contractile integral (DCI) was analyzed during single water swallows (10 × 5 mL), MRS (5 × 2 mL), and during SLR (5x5 mL). Peristaltic breaks were measured using software tools with a 20 mm Hg isobaric contour. Univariate correlational analyses were performed to compare esophageal motor patterns and DCI values during single water swallows, MRS, and SLR.

RESULTS

Of 103 study patients (mean age: 46.7 ± 12.3 years, 56.3% female), 50 (48.5%) had ineffective esophageal motility (IEM). Contraction reserve was observed on MRS in 62% with IEM, and 35.8% with normal motility (p = 0.008). DCI was significantly higher during SLR compared to mean single swallow DCI in both IEM and normal motility patients (p < 0.001 for each comparison). In IEM patients, SLR significantly reduced swallows with peristaltic breaks (6.1 ± 3.7 vs 3.6 ± 3.6; p < 0.001) and shortened the length of the largest break (4.8 ± 3.4 vs 3.0 ± 3.0 cm; p < 0.001). DCI response following MRS correlated with DCI with swallows during SLR, with a correlational coefficient (Pearson's r) of 0.70 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Swallowing against the resistance of increased intra-abdominal pressure from SLR improves esophageal body peristaltic performance and predicts esophageal body contraction reserve.