[Latin American Consensus on the Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very common in Latin America. GERD symptoms can vary widely, and there are multiple pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease. Therefore, diagnosing GERD can be a complex process, and a diverse set of diagnostic tools has been described. However, the diagnostic gold standard continues to be esophageal acid exposure time measured during ambulatory reflux monitoring. The goal of this Latin American consensus was to assess the various diagnostic tools available for GERD, based on the best current evidence, and to provide consensus recommendations following discussion and voting by experts in the field. This consensus was developed by a group of experts based on a systematic search of the literature, using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology to assess the quality of the evidence and assign strength for each recommendation regarding the utility of different GERD diagnostic tools. Este documento es avalado por la siguientes sociedades científicas: Sociedad Argentina de Gastroenterología (SAGE), American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS), Asociación Colombiana de Gastroenterología, Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología (AMG), Federação Brasileira de Gastroenterologia (FBG), Sociedad Chilena de Gastroenterología (SChGE), Sociedad de Gastroenterología del Perú, Organización Panamericana de Gastroenterología (OPGE).