Comparison of the Carlsson-Dent and GERD-Q questionnaires for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptom detection in a general population

• Main Authors: R. Contreras-Omaña, O. Sánchez-Reyes, E. Ángeles-Granados
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-01-01
• Series: Revista de Gastroenterología de México (English Edition)
• Subjects: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Carlsson-Dent questionnaire; GERDQ questionnaire
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2255534X16300718

Introduction: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an extremely common pathology in the general population and one of the main reasons for consultation in gastroenterology. There are different instruments for detecting its symptoms, but few studies comparing one tool with another have been conducted in Mexico. Aims: To compare the effectiveness of the Carlsson-Dent questionnaire (CDQ) and the GERD-Q questionnaire (GQQ) in detecting GERD symptoms in a general population. Materials and methods: A prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 individuals in an open population within the time frame of May-June 2015. The subjects were evaluated through the self-assessment CDQ and GQQ. The positive scores from the CDQ (≥ 4) were compared with those of the GQQ (≥ 8), to determine which of the two instruments more easily detected patients with GERD symptoms. Results: Fifty-seven percent of the patients were men and the mean patient age was 38.1 years. Fifty percent of the subjects presented with GERD symptoms with a positive score in at least one questionnaire; 45% had positive CDQ results and 23% had positive GQQ results. Fifty-seven percent of the patients with a positive CDQ score presented with overweight/obesity, as did 72% of the patients with a positive GQQ result. Finally, 20% of the individuals had positive results for reflux symptoms in both questionnaires. Conclusions: There was a prevalence of GERD symptoms in 50% of the individuals studied from a general population. The GQQ detected a greater number of GERD symptoms in patients that presented with overweight/obesity and the CDQ was considered easier for patients to understand and answer. It is striking that there was only 20% agreement between the two questionnaires, suggesting that they may be useful for identifying GERD symptoms in different populations.