Executing and facilitating the successful combined multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring study.

Abstract

Successful multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring (MII-pHM) studies rely on constant attendants (CAs) or family members (and sometimes the patients themselves) to assist in the execution and facilitation of the MII-pHM study. While "pushing buttons" [corresponding to specific symptoms, body position (upright versus recumbent), and meal start and stop times] on the MII-pHM system recording box is indeed a big part of MII-pHM study execution and facilitation, there are other concerns and duties that are equally as important. This paper outlines some of the important duties of the study facilitator (or patient) during a MII-pHM study. When provided with the proper training, study facilitators invigilating the MII-pHM study will be better able to contribute to the data collection process and ultimately to produce data that when analyzed will lead to better interpretations, clinical recommendations, and good clinical outcomes. When executed properly, MII-pHM studies have the potential to assess diurnal exposure of the esophageal mucosa to gastric/duodenal contents, provide insight regarding the proximal extent of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), provide a measurement of the mean esophageal pH, and assess mucosal integrity and temporal relationship between GER and the symptoms of interest. While several groups have offered recommendations for proper execution of the MII-pHM study, to our knowledge, there have not been publications wherein recommendations were compiled to form a single source document.