Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and Reflux Finding Score (RFS) in Management of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in Indian Scenario

Aim: To study the role of Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and Reflux Finding Score (RFS) for assessment of severity in Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) and to assess the improvement of symptoms following treatment with Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) using RSI. Design: Prospective single blinded observational study. Methods: Patients with symptoms of LPR with RSI and RFS scores more than 7 were included in the study and were treated with PPI for 8 weeks and followed up with RSI. Results: A total of 107 patients were included over a period of 7 months.There is a positive correlation between RSI and RFS taken before starting treatment (P = 0.016). The mean of RSI score as well as all the 9 individual symptoms showed statistically significant decrease after therapy. Conclusion: RSI & RFS scores of 7& above can be considered as clinical indicators of LPR and RSI alone can be used to assess its treatment.