The relationship between the ingestion of hot coffee and intraoesophageal temperature

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Abstract
Temperatures at the lower end of the oesophagus were taken during the ingestion of hot coffee at varying temperatures and varying volume, by using a modified duodenal tube. Temperatures higher than expected were found: of 209 measurements on 17 patients and one volunteer, standardized for size of sip and temperature of coffee, 43% were 44°C or higher (up to 53°C). Statistical analysis showed a linear relationship between the intraoesophageal and the initial coffee temperatures. Volume has a larger effect than the temperature at which the coffee is taken. The average increase in intraoesophageal temperatures at the point of measurement was 0·381°C per ml coffee ingested. Some implications of the findings are discussed from the epidemiological point of view.