Thresholds of gastroesophageal reflux for diagnosis of esophageal reflux diseases

Table 2 Reflux episodes and pH fluctuations in gastroesophageal reflux patients (¯x ± s)

Group	pH fluctuations			Reflux episodes
	n	Duration, min	Time, % 24 h	n	Duration, min	Time, % 24 h
Gastroesophageal reflux patients with
Esophagitis
Total	67 ± 46	191.7 ± 118.9	12.7 ± 6.5b	22 ± 31	45.4 ± 110.6	3.1 ± 7.5b
Day	55 ± 34	124.0 ± 97.5	8.2 ± 4.6b	15 ± 13	19.1 ± 58.7	1.3 ± 2.7b
Night	12 ± 8	50.1 ± 35.4	3.3 ± 4.5b	7 ± 10	22.8 ± 64.7	1.5 ± 4.8b
GER patients without
Esophagitis
Total	50 ± 18	130.4 ± 57.5	9.5 ± 2.8b	14 ± 14	27.4 ± 68.3	2.0 ± 5.0b
Day	41 ± 14	94.0 ± 35.7	6.8 ± 3.5b	11 ± 7	18.8 ± 45.2	1.4 ± 12.9b
Night	9 ± 8	36.3 ± 26.4	2.6 ± 3.1b	3 ± 6	8.6 ± 24.7	0.6 ± 2.2b
Healthy controls
Total	23 ± 16	41.3 ± 30.7	2.7 ± 2.0	3 ± 3	3.0 ± 5.7	0.2 ± 0.4
Day	20 ± 11	37.3 ± 24.1	2.5 ± 1.9	2 ± 2	2.0 ± 2.4	0.1 ± 0.2
Night	3 ± 5	4.1 ± 3.9	0.3 ± 0.4	1 ± 1	1.0 ± 2.1	0.1 ± 0.1

^bP < 0.01 vs healthy controls.