Esophageal pH monitoring developed a dependable external reference electrode. Using this technique to monitor esophageal acid exposure patients for periods up to 24 hours, DeMeester and Johnson were able to identify the most important parameters of esophageal acid exposure, and they developed a composite pH score to quantify gastroesophageal reflux. The initial 24-hour pH studies required hospitalization until the introduction of microcircuits in the 1980s that allowed portable esophageal pH monitoring in an outpatient setting. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease in western countries. In the United States, 7% of the population experiences heartburn daily and 44% at least once a
Impedance–pH monitoring symptoms in a statistically meaningful manner. Patients with a positive impedance–pH monitoring test may benefit from acid-reduction therapy such as fundoplication surgery or endoscopic fundoplication techniques. Impedance–pH monitoring Impedance–pH monitoring is a technique used in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), by monitoring both impedance and pH. Patients with ongoing symptoms while on proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy are commonly diagnosed with impedance–pH monitoring while continuing their medications. The impedance–pH monitoring diagnostic test determines the frequency of reflux episodes and the time relationship of reflux episodes and symptoms. The impedance–pH monitoring test determines if the patient's symptoms are related to