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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Improved diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux in patients with unexplained chronic cough
K Blondeau1, L J Dupont, V Mertens
1Center for Gastroenterological Research, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
Background:
Symptoms, oesophageal pHmetry and proton pump inhibitor treatment are used for diagnosing gastro-oesophageal reflux-related cough. Weakly acidic reflux is now increasingly associated with reflux symptoms such as regurgitation or chest pain.
Aim:
To study the association between weakly acidic reflux and cough in a selected, large group of patients with unexplained chronic cough.
Methods:
A total of 100 patients with chronic cough (77 'off' and 23 'on' a proton pump inhibitor) were studied using impedance-pHmetry for reflux detection and manometry for objective cough monitoring. Symptom Association Probability (SAP) Analysis characterized the reflux-cough association.
Results:
Acid reflux could be a potential mechanism for cough in 45 patients (with either heartburn, high acid exposure or +SAP for acid reflux). Weakly acidic reflux could be a potential mechanism for cough in 24 patients (with either increased oesophageal volume exposure, increased number of weakly acidic reflux or +SAP for weakly acidic reflux). Reflux could not be identified as a potential mechanism for cough in 31 patients.
Conclusion:
A positive association between cough and weakly acidic reflux was found in a significant subgroup of patients with unexplained chronic cough. Impedance-pH-manometry identified patients in whom cough can be related to reflux that would have been disregarded using the standard diagnostic criteria for acid reflux.
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