24-HOUR ESOPHAGEAL PH MEASUREMENT

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) results from excessive reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. While numerous clinical tests are available for the diagnosis of this syndrome, 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring is the only test that can quantify the amount of acid refluxed into the esophagus over a circadian cycle and also correlate patients' symptoms with the refluxed acid. The development of compact data recorders and multiple electrodes has helped us study the normal and pathologic physiology of GERD in outpatients and identify many atypical presentations of this disease. With advancing technology and its widespread use, 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring is quickly becoming the best test not only to diagnose GERD but also to define its relationship to numerous other gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal diseases.