ArticleAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2025
Use of a Non-Endoscopic Capsule-Sponge Triage Test for Reflux Symptoms: Results From the NHS England Prospective Real-World Evaluation.
Article in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Using a mobile unit to deliver capsule sponge testing for Barrett's oesophagus in the community in England through GP invitation and self-referral: an implementation study.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2026Article
- THE CAPSULE SPONGE: A NOVEL TEST FOR EARLY DETECTION AND RISK STRATIFICATION IN BARRETT'S OESOPHAGUS.The Ulster medical journal · 2026Article
- GPA33 forms a distinct diagnostic target class to Claudin 18.2 in oesophageal adenocarcinoma enabling the development of a novel GPA33 antibody-based detection platform.Cellular & molecular biology letters · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAcid reflux is a common presentation in primary care leading to a high volume of referrals to endoscopy that are often normal.
aimsTo determine whether a non-endoscopic capsule sponge biomarker test could triage patients with low-risk reflux symptoms, reduce endoscopy waiting lists and identify Barrett's oesophagus in a real-world setting.
methodsPatients with reflux symptoms on NHS endoscopy waiting lists who were offered a capsule sponge (test group) between February 2021 and August 2022 were included in this national multicentre prospective cohort study and compared with eligible patients on the standard endoscopy pathway (counterfactual group).
resultsTwo thousand one hundred seventy patients from 23 hospitals undertook a capsule sponge triage test and submitted follow-up data, of whom 1694 (78%) were discharged without endoscopy and 476 (22%) were referred for endoscopy. In a detailed subgroup analysis 1411/1549 (92%) attended and successfully swallowed the capsule of whom 307/1411 (21.8%) required endoscopy. Of 111 patients with positive capsule sponge biomarker results who had endoscopy, 19.8% had Barrett's oesophagus. In comparison, in patients with negative sponge biomarkers who were referred for endoscopy due to ongoing symptoms, none had Barrett's oesophagus (p = 0.0002). Eighty-two percent surveyed (267/357) were satisfied with the alternative pathway.
conclusionsCapsule sponge triage is feasible, safe and acceptable. It substantially reduces the endoscopy burden for routine reflux referrals with a favourable diagnostic yield for Barrett's oesophagus. Longer term follow-up will help to confidently assess the impact of the programme and place of capsule sponge in the diagnostic pathway.
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