[The diagnostic impact and limitations of 24 hour pH monitoring with multichannel intraluminal impedance].

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a result of reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. Gastroscopy is often the first examination performed in GERD diagnosis. Some patients have macroscopic lesions, namely erosions, in the esophagus above the cardia of stomach. It enables to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, many patients have no macroscopic lesions of the esophageal mucosa in endoscopy. That is why 24-hour pH monitoring with multichannel intraluminal impedance is the gold standard in diagnosis establishing of GERD and make feasible to distinguish acid, weakly acid and nonacid reflux and its correlation with reported symptoms. Impedance-pH is used to establish diagnosis of GERD, in patient qualification to anti-reflux surgery, to find the cause of not efficient reflux disease treatment as well as the cause of extra-esophageal symptoms of reflux disease. During impedance-pH test catheter connected with the recorder is placed in patient's esophagus. Recorded data is analyzed with the computer program. The examination is safe, the only complication that can occur is nasal bleeding, which can be a result of mucosa damage caused while catheter implementation. Nowadays disposable catheters are used, that excludes the risk of catheter related infection. On the basis of pH-impedance results it is possible to divide patients into 3 groups: patients with functional heartburn, patients with esophageal hypersensitivity and abnormal esophageal acid exposure. This classification is very helpful in the choice of treatment - antireflux surgery, proton pump inhibitor or prokinetic therapy.