Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir2.3

Title: The proximal probe in esophageal pH monitoring: development of a normative database.

Authors: D A Vincent, J D Garrett, S L Radionoff, L A Reussner, C R Stasney

Journal, date & volume: , 2000 Jun , 14, 247-54

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10875577

Abstract
Healthy volunteers without symptoms of either gastroesophageal reflux or laryngopharyngeal reflux and without abnormalities on laryngologic examination were recruited for esophageal pH monitoring. Thirty subjects underwent ambulatory 24-hour double-channel pH probe monitoring to establish normative data for the upper probe, which was positioned just above the upper esophageal sphincter. Data were analyzed excluding meal periods plus 2 minutes of postprandial time. The mean, standard deviation, median, and 95th percentile were calculated for various reflux parameters for the following intervals: total study duration, upright time, supine time, and postprandial time. Normal subjects display physiologic reflux above the upper esophageal sphincter (median one event, 95th percentile 6.9 events), and 80.4% of these events occur in the upright position. The reflux area index (RAI) appears to be the most useful parameter to measure laryngopharyngeal reflux severity.