Sensitivity and specificity of the Gastrointestinal Short Form Questionnaire in diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract

Introduction: Gastrointestinal Short Form Questionnaire (GSFQ) is a questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnosis, with a version in Spanish language, not yet compared to an objective test.Aims: To establish GSFQ diagnostic performance against 24-hour pH monitoring carried out in two tertiary care hospitals.Methods: Consecutive adult patients with typical GERD symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation) referred for pH monitoring fulfilled the GSFQ (score range 0-30, proportional to probability of GERD). Diagnosis of GERD was established when acid exposure time in distal esophagus was superior to 4.5% or symptom association probability was greater than 95%. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated and best cut-off score determined, with corresponding sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios (LR) (95% confidence interval for each).Results: One hundred and fifty-two patients were included (59.9% women, age 47.9 ± 13.9; 97.4% heartburn; 71.3% regurgitation). pH monitoring was abnormal in 65.8%. Mean GSFQ score was 11.2 ± 6. Area under ROC was 56.5% (47.0-65.9%). Optimal cut-off score was 13 or greater: sensitivity 40% (30.3-50.3%), specificity 71.2% (56.9-82.9%), positive LR 1.39 (0.85-2.26) and negative LR 0.84 (0.67-1.07). Exclusion of questions 1 and 3 of the original GSFQ, easily interpreted as referred to dyspepsia and not GERD, improved only marginally the diagnostic performance: AUROC 59.1%. Conclusion:The GSFQ does not predict results of pH monitoring in patients with typical symptoms in a tertiary care setting.

Mapping of the Gastrointestinal Short Form Questionnaire (GSF-Q) into EQ-5D-3L and SF-6D in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

“…However, mapping specific HRQoL into generic utility scores can present methodological problems. Albeit the good psychometric properties of instruments like GSF-Q for measuring the impact of GERD on patients’ daily lives [ 10 , 17 , 26 ], GERD is a relatively mild health disabling disease, as compared to other possible health states measured by generic instruments. Besides, it is difficult to instruct patients to restrict their thinking to only one specific disease-related disability, isolating their judgments from other comorbidities that might be present, or from the impact of normal disabilities associated with to aging, when responding to generic instruments.…”

The study and comparative analysis of GerdQ and GSRS Questionnaires on gastroesophageal reflux disease diagnostics

“…As already mentioned, the data from the questionnaires were evaluated in comparison with the oesophageal pH monitoring data and/or upper endoscopy results [19,20,[22][23][24][25][26][27], but not with the results of oesophageal impedance-pH monitoring, which allows the identification of weakly acidic and gas refluxes and is currently one of the best and most informative instrumental methods for the diagnosis of pathological gastroesophageal reflux.…”

Діагностичні можливості опитувальника GerdQ на основі результатів добового езофаго-імпеданс-рH-моніторингу

“…Як вже було зазначено, оцінка інформативності цих опитувальників проводилась шляхом порівняння з даними добового езофаго-рН-моніторингу та/або результатами верхньої ендоскопії [19,20,[22][23][24][25][26][27], однак не проводилось порівняння з результатами добового езофаго-імпеданс-рН-моніторингу, що дозволяє ідентифікувати некислотний та газовий рефлюкс і на сьогодні є одним із кращих та найінформативніших інструментальних методів діагностики наявності патологічного гастроезофагеального рефлюксу.…”