title: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ) in real-world practice: a national multicenter survey on 8065 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ) has been developed for diagnosis of GERD. However, no study investigated its value in real-world practice. This study aimed to investigate whether GerdQ can be used for diagnosis of GERD in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national multicenter survey was undertaken; all patients who underwent first diagnostic upper endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were included. Data including the gender, age, symptoms, and endoscopic findings were prospectively recorded. The GerdQ score was measured before endoscopic procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally, 8065 patients were included. One thousand four hundred and thirty-five patients (17.8%) had reflux esophagitis. Among them, 620 (43.2%) patients' GerdQ score was ≥ 8. For 2025 patients with GerdQ ≥ 8, 620 (30.6%) were found to have reflux esophagitis, but the remaining 69.4% (1405/2025) were normal. Proportions of patients with reflux esophagitis increased in cut-off range from 3-18 for GerdQ. However, 22.2% of the patients with a GerdQ score ≤ 2 also had reflux esophagitis. Twenty-eight (0.3%) patients were diagnosed to have upper GI malignancies, and 10 out of these 28 (35.7%) patients' GerdQ score was ≥ 8.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests the proportions of Chinese patients with reflux esophagitis rise up with the increase of GerdQ score, and GerdQ may be used for diagnosis of GERD. However, low GerdQ score cannot exclude the possibility of reflux esophagitis. A minority of Chinese patients has high GerdQ score but is diagnosed with malignancies, even in the absence of alarm features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Yiqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Duowu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Zhendong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xianbao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Zhao-Shen
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yunsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yulan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shutian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiaming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Liya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jianyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dianchun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Daiming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.forename: Yuqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Nonghua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Jingyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jiangao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Weichang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bangmao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yiyou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Youming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mingjun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qikui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Minhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult