Reliability of short-term esophageal pH monitoring versus 24-hour study

The child’s discomfort and the cost of overnight hospitalization are clear disadvantages of prolonged esophageal pH monitoring. The aim of this study was to verify the reliability of short recording versus 24-h testing in a pediatrie series with symptoms suggestive of gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) disease. A 24-h pH monitoring performed on 160 patients with cither gastroenterological symptoms (n = 61), respiratory problems (n = 58), or emesis plus respiratory problems (n = 41) was reviewed. Regardless of clinical presentation, children were also classified according to age; 10% were considered positive in patients <1 year of age, whereas RIs of >5% were considered positive in other age groups. Negative predictive values of the short recording RI ranged from 71 to 90%. Positive predictive values ranged from 50 to 83%; it was unreliable for children