Open AccessEsophageal Acid Exposure in Healthy Adults in Taiwan: Experience with pH Step‐up Method by Dual‐Channel pH‐metry
Author(s) -
Yi ChihHsun,
Chen ChienLin,
Lin Hans HsienHong,
Chen MingCheh
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.439
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2410-8650
pISSN - 1607-551X
DOI - 10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70124-x
Subject(s) - reflux , medicine , asymptomatic , ambulatory , esophagus , esophageal ph monitoring , gastroenterology , gerd , disease
Esophageal acid exposure is common in normal subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate proximal and distal esophageal acid exposure in asymptomatic volunteers using dual‐channel esophageal pH‐metry with probe positioning by pH step‐up. A total of 21 healthy subjects (9 male; mean age, 51 years) underwent 24‐hour ambulatory esophageal pH recording with the pH step‐up method using a two‐channel pH probe, a portable digital data recorder, and computerized data analysis. All reflux episodes, episodes longer than 5 minutes, longest reflux episode, duration of acidity (pH < 4), and percentage of time with acidity were analyzed. The 95 th percentile for reflux parameters assessed in the distal/proximal esophagus were: total reflux episodes, 100/34; episodes greater than 5 minutes, 2.9/0; longest reflux episode, 16.6/2.95 minutes; duration of acidity, 87.95/15.5 minutes; and percentage of time with acidity, 7.0%/1.3%. Proximal and distal acid exposure were well correlated. Results showed that neither gender nor age influenced reflux parameters and that asymptomatic volunteers might experience some gastroesophageal reflux.