Acid Reflux Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Acid Reflux, including details on diet, gerd (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), treatment, symptoms.

Catheter-based pH monitoring: use in evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms (on and off therapy).

DeVault KR

Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. devault@mayo.edu

Tube-based ambulatory pH testing has rapidly evolved in the past 3 decades to become the standard by which other diagnostic approaches to gastroesophageal reflux disease are judged. Acid exposure 5 cm above the manometrically determined lower esophageal sphincter is the standard for documentation of pathologic acid exposure of the distal esophagus. Proximal esophageal or hypopharyngeal monitoring is an evolving technique that may shed light on patients with supraesophageal symptoms. The ability to simultaneously monitor esophageal and gastric acidity (usually in patients with persistent symptoms despite therapy) is another advantage of this technique. Whether the new system that allows simultaneous pH and impedance monitoring and the system that uses an implantable tubeless monitoring capsule will supplant this older but well-established technology remains to be determined.

Published 21 February 2005 in Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am, 15(2): 289-306.
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