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  Vol. 165 No. 11, June 13, 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Is Proton Pump Inhibitor Testing an Effective Approach to Diagnose Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Patients With Noncardiac Chest Pain?

A Meta-analysis

Wei Hong Wang, MD; Jia Qing Huang, PhD; Ge Fan Zheng, MD; Wai Man Wong, MD; Shiu Kum Lam, MD; Johan Karlberg, MD; Harry H. X. Xia, PhD; Ronnie Fass, MD; Benjamin C. Y. Wong, MD

Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1222-1228.

Background  Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common in patients with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP). Results of studies evaluating the accuracy of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment as a diagnostic test for GERD-related NCCP have varied. We evaluated the overall accuracy of this modality.

Methods  We searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases to May 2004 and included randomized, placebo-controlled studies evaluating the accuracy of findings from PPI testing in the diagnosis of GERD in patients with NCCP. The GERD diagnosis was confirmed by results of endoscopy and/or 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. A summary diagnostic odds ratio and summary receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used to estimate the overall accuracy and to explore any contributing factors.

Results  Six studies met the inclusion criteria. The overall sensitivity and specificity of a PPI test were 80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 71%-87%) and 74% (95% CI, 64%-83%), respectively, compared with 19% (95% CI, 12%-29%) and 77% (95% CI, 62%-87%), respectively, in the placebo group. The PPI test showed a significant higher discriminative power, with a summary diagnostic odds ratio of 19.35 (95% CI, 8.54-43.84) compared with 0.61 (95% CI, 0.20-1.86) in the placebo group. The impact of the prevalence of GERD and treatment duration on the accuracy of the test could not be determined because of the lack of an adequate number of studies.

Conclusion  The use of PPI treatment as a diagnostic test for detecting GERD in patients with NCCP has an acceptable sensitivity and specificity and could be used as an initial approach by primary care physicians to detect GERD in selected patients with NCCP.


Author Affiliations: Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China (Dr Wang); Department of Medicine (Drs Huang, Zheng, W. M. Wong, Lam, Xia, and B. C. Y. Wong) and Clinical Trials Centre (Drs Huang and Karlberg), Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; and Neuroenteric Clinical Research Group, Section of Gastroenterology, Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System and University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson (Dr Fass).


RELATED LETTERS

The Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors as a Diagnostic Test for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Mattijs E. Numans
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(2):247-248.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Noncardiac Chest Pain and Proton Pump Inhibitors
Ravi K. Bobba and Edward L. Arsura
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(2):248.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Noncardiac Chest Pain and Proton Pump Inhibitors—Reply
Ronnie Fass and Benjamin C. Y. Wong
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(2):248-249.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

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Noncardiac Chest Pain and Proton Pump Inhibitors
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Arch Intern Med 2006;166:248-248.
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The Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors as a Diagnostic Test for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Numans
Arch Intern Med 2006;166:247-248.
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Noncardiac Chest Pain and Proton Pump Inhibitors--Reply
Fass and Wong
Arch Intern Med 2006;166:248-249.
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Evidently ...
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Evid. Based Med. 2005;10:167-167.
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Other articles noted
Evid. Based Med. 2005;10:191-192.
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