COMPARISON IN A SMAE PATIENT OF SHORT, MIDDLE AND LONG TERM PH-METRY RECORDINGS IN THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A GASTRO-ESOHACEAL REFLUX (CFR) IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Long-term esophageal pH-metry has become the reference test to quantify acid GER. Nevertheless, short-, middle- and long-term pH-metry withor without postcibal period are used by clinicians to diagnose the presence or absence of GER. To determine the reliability of each recording period, 35 children (m = 4.1 yr; 1 mth-16.5 yrs) were studied prospectively during the past year on the basis of a clinical suspicion. All patients experienced a 22h-recording pH-metry, which was scanned subsequently by a PROXEDA software in 3h, 6h, 12h after insertion of the probe, 12h nocturnal (12hn) and 3h postcibal (3hpc). This technique allowed us to analyze in a same patient the different recording i ntervals.

Results: 16 children (gr A) had pathological pH-metry (% reflux time : 15.5 + 4.4; n14%) and 19 (gr B) were normal (1.9 ± 0.3%) using 22 h recording. The mean age of both groups was not statistically different. The clearance time of GER (3.3 ± 0.5 vs 1.7 ± 0.3 min) and the number of reflux episodes) 5 min (0.40 ± 0.10 vs 0.05 ± 0.01 episode/hr) were significantly higher in gr A (p < .01). The reliability of the different recording periods is tabulated below:

In summary, this prospective study formally showed that short- and middle-term pH-metry, diurnal and/ornocturnal, as postcibal recordings, disclosed too many false positive or false negative results. Consequently, the long-term pH-metry remains an obligation.

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