According to Wikipedia, Justice Potter Stewart, in Jacobellis v. Ohio 378 U.S. 184 (1964) stated the following: I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [“hard-core pornography”]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that. [Emphasis added.]

     To some extent, ‘I know it when I see it’ has been the mantra about identifying gastroesophageal reflux for advocates for pH-impedance (pH-MII).  Enthusiasts have claimed that pH-MII is vastly superior to pH studies alone for many reasons including the ability to detect more GER episodes than conventional pH studies.  Yet, a major flaw has been a paucity of normative data.  To determine whether there is interobserver and intraobserver agreement in the interpretation of pH-MII, seven expert world groups collaborated on a study to analyze ten pediatric 24-hour tracings (J Pediatr 2012; 160: 441-6).

     Five of these studies were considered easy and five were more challenging due to less obvious features like low baselines, retrograde patterns during swallowing, and moving/crying artifacts.   Among 1242 liquid and mixed GER events, 490 (42%) were scored by the majority of observers.  The authors claim that this is “moderate agreement.”  The automated analysis (AA), not surprisingly, had much better agreement than manual analysis.   With AA there was 94% sensitivity rate and 74% specificity. When looking at AA alone, AA missed 6.5% of events scored by observer consensus and  30% of GER episodes recorded with AA were not detected by majority consensus.

     When looking at each pH-MII recording (Figure 2), there was poor agreement on whether the study was pathologic.  Only five of the studies had uniform agreement that the number of episodes (>73 GER episodes) were either pathologic or not. Those with agreement were all negative studies.  The authors conclude, though, that there was “substantial” agreement based on a mean kappa value of 0.70.

     A comparison to a previous pH-MII publication (Scand J Gastro 2011; 46: 271-6) notes that in this previous study, 83% of pH-MII recordings had a concordant symptom association probability despite underdetection of GER episodes with AA; it was recommended to use ‘AA when the symptom association was positive.  If symptom association was negative, they suggested manual analysis.’

    The conclusions from the current study:

• ‘In theory, AA is favored over manual analysis due to reproducibility’
• AA does not seem specific enough to ensure correct marking of GER episodes in infants and children yet
• Consensus to refine AA needs to be reached …to retain confidence …in impedance

If this is the best that worldwide experts can do with this widespread technology, what does that mean for clinicians in practice?

Additional references:

Recent related posts:

The Medical Pendulum and Gastroesophageal Reflux

Unexplained chest pain

• -Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2010;25:817-22. Has some normative pH-MII data.  ‘Can acid (pH) refluxes predict multichannel intraluminal impedance refluxes? A correlation study.’
• -JPGN 2010; 50: 25. Reflux detected by Impedance does NOT determine fundoplication outcome. n=34.
• -JPGN 2010; 52: 129. Review. No normative data. Using SAP>95% to correlate symptoms (better than SI or SSI). Main use is to study intractable pts to establish if nonacid reflux is contributing to symptoms.
• -J Pediatr 2010; 157: 878 (“death of pH probe”), 949. Use of impedance in children. n=225. (70 were discarded). Notes lack of therapeutic possibilities for non-acid reflux.  Symptom index is + if >50%, SAP if >95%. Symptom index is number of symptoms with reflux episode divided by total number of symptom occurrences. SAP, symptom association probability, is a statistical tool that uses 2-minute windows throughout recording to correlate symptom and reflux event.  pH probe 2nd metal for infant -place 2cm above LES.  pH probe 3rd metal for child -place 3cm above LES
• -Clin Gastro & Hep 2009; 7: 743. n=39 adults. Non-acid reflux events in patients on therapy correlated with acid reflux parameters when patients studied off therapy. Abnormal impedance parameters: total number of reflux events >63 (avg normal was 28). This study relied on # of reflux events more than SAP or SI. SAP or SI is problematic in patients who lack clinical response to PPIs.
• -Gastroenterology 2009; 136 (suppl 1): S1896. n=143. #of events (not SI or SAP) is then most conservative estimate as well as the one with the highest likelihood of encompassing other symptom assoication parameters.
• -J Pediatr 2009; 154: 248. n=50. a high # with normal pH had symptom correlation w GER events. (initial cohort was 80 –30 excluded due to problems with study or insufficient symptoms) SAP is superior for correlating symptoms.
• -Clin Gastro & Hep 2008; 6: 840. Impedance is best tool -D Castell.; -Clin Gastro & Hep 2008; 6: 880.
• -Clin Gastro & Hep 2008; 6: 482, 521. ‘Impedance/pH is best tool’. Pts who respond to PPIs likely due so due to its effect on chemostimulation; those who continue with symptoms may do so based on mechanostimulation -related to volumes in esophagus not due to acidity.
• -J Pediatr 2006; 149: 216. Equal frequency of acid and non-acid reflux in 24 pts with asthma. No correlation identified with resp symptoms.
• -Clin Gastro & Hep 2006; 4: 167. Impedance does not add to pH probe in UNTREATED patients.
• -JPGN 2002; 34: 511, 519.
• -Pediatrics 2006; 118: e299, 793. Impedance data in preterm infants. Asymptomatic and affected infants with similar impedance values and both have reflux to upper esophagus.