Project description:If there are no features of serious disease, suspected gastro-oesophageal reflux disease can be initially managed with a trial of a proton pump inhibitor for 4-8 weeks. This should be taken 30-60 minutes before food for optimal effect. Once symptoms are controlled, attempt to withdraw acid suppression therapy. If symptoms recur, use the minimum dose that controls symptoms. Patients who have severe erosive oesophagitis, scleroderma oesophagus or Barrett's oesophagus require long-term treatment with a proton pump inhibitor. Lifestyle modification strategies can help gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Weight loss has the strongest evidence for efficacy. Further investigation and a specialist referral are required if there is no response to proton pump inhibitor therapy. Atypical symptoms or signs of serious disease also need investigation.
Project description:BACKGROUND: Atropine reduces the rate of reflux episodes in normal subjects by inhibition of transient lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) relaxations. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of atropine on the rate and mechanisms of reflux in patients with reflux disease. METHODS: Oesophageal motility and pH were recorded for one hour after a meal in 15 patients with reflux disease. On separate days, atropine (15 micrograms/kg bolus intravenously, 4 micrograms/kg/h infusion) or saline were given and maintained for the recording period. RESULTS: Atropine significantly reduced basal LOS pressure from 7.1 (2.2) to 2.9 (1.3) mm Hg (mean (SEM)). Atropine also reduced the rate of reflux episodes from 5.0 (2.0-8.75) to 1.0 (0-6.25) per hour (median (interquartile range)) largely because of a decrease in the rate of transient LOS relaxations from 2.0 (0-4.75) to 0 (0-0) per hour and abolition of reflux during swallow induced LOS relaxation. There was no change in the rate of reflux episodes because of absent basal LOS pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Atropine inhibits reflux in patients with reflux disease largely by inhibition of transient LOS relaxations and swallow induced LOS relaxation. These findings suggest that pharmacological control of reflux through control of transient LOS relaxations is possible in patients with reflux disease.
Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) on chronic cough in children and adults without an underlying respiratory disease.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesCochrane, Medline, and Embase databases, references from review articles.Included studiesRandomised controlled trials on GORD treatment for cough in children and adults without primary lung disease. Two reviewers independently selected studies and extracted paediatric and adult data on primary (clinical failure) and secondary outcomes.Results11 studies were included. Meta-analysis was limited to five studies in adults that compared proton pump inhibitors with placebo. All outcomes favoured proton pump inhibitors: the odds ratio for clinical failure (primary outcome) was 0.24 (95% confidence interval 0.04 to 1.27); number needed to treat (NNT) was 5 (harm 50 to infinity to benefit 2.5). For secondary outcomes, the standardised mean difference between proton pump inhibitors and placebo was -0.51 (-1.02 to 0.01) for mean cough score at the end of the trial and -0.29 (-0.62 to 0.04) for change in cough score at the end of the trial. Subgroup analysis with generic inverse variance analysis showed a significant mean change in cough (-0.41 SD units, -0.75 to -0.07).ConclusionUse of a proton pump inhibitor to treat cough associated with GORD has some effect in some adults. The effect, however, is less universal than suggested in consensus guidelines on chronic cough and its magnitude of effect is uncertain.
Project description:AIMS: To compare oesophageal motor responses to gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) in 16 healthy controls (group 1) and 25 reflux patients, 15 without (group 2) and 10 with (group 3) oesophagitis. METHODS: All subjects underwent 24 hour ambulatory oesophageal pH measurements (5 cm above the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS)) combined with pressure monitoring (5, 10, and 15 cm above the LOS for oesophageal body motility and 27 cm above the LOS for voluntary swallow detection). Contraction patterns (peristaltic, simultaneous, isolated, mixed type, and non-transmitted swallows) and peristaltic contraction wave characteristics (amplitude, duration, and velocity) during GOR were compared in the three groups. RESULTS: The average number of motor activities per minute was significantly higher in group 1 (p < 0.05). In all groups, the most common motor contraction pattern was peristaltic. The percentage of peristaltic activity per subject was significantly higher in group 1 (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in other contraction patterns among the three groups (p > 0.05). Of the peristaltic contraction wave characteristics there were no significant differences in any parameters (amplitude, duration, and velocity) among the three groups (p > 0.05). The average pH increment in response to motor activities was significantly higher in group 1 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Motor responses to GOR were found to be predominantly primary peristaltic in all groups. During GOR, reflux patients have less frequent activity, a smaller proportion of activity is peristaltic, and the average pH increment in response to motor activities is reduced compared with controls.
Project description:A systematic review of the epidemiology of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) has been performed, applying strict criteria for quality of studies and the disease definition used. The prevalence and incidence of GORD was estimated from 15 studies which defined GORD as at least weekly heartburn and/or acid regurgitation and met criteria concerning sample size, response rate, and recall period. Data on factors associated with GORD were also evaluated. An approximate prevalence of 10-20% was identified for GORD, defined by at least weekly heartburn and/or acid regurgitation in the Western world while in Asia this was lower, at less than 5%. The incidence in the Western world was approximately 5 per 1000 person years. A number of potential risk factors (for example, an immediate family history and obesity) and comorbidities (for example, respiratory diseases and chest pain) associated with GORD were identified. Data reported in this systematic review can be interpreted with confidence as reflecting the epidemiology of "true" GORD. The disease is more common in the Western world than in Asia, and the low rate of incidence relative to prevalence reflects its chronicity. The small number of studies eligible for inclusion in this review highlights the need for global consensus on a symptom based definition of GORD.
Project description:About one-third of patients with suspected gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) do not respond symptomatically to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Many of these patients do not suffer from GERD, but may have underlying functional heartburn or atypical chest pain. Other causes of failure to respond to PPIs include inadequate acid suppression, non-acid reflux, oesophageal hypersensitivity, oesophageal dysmotility and psychological comorbidities. Functional oesophageal tests can exclude cardiac and structural causes, as well as help to confi rm or exclude GERD. The use of PPIs should only be continued in the presence of acid reflux or oesophageal hypersensitivity for acid reflux-related events that is proven on functional oesophageal tests.
Project description:Variability during spirometry can persist despite control of technical and personal factors. We postulate spirometry induces gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR), which may cause variability and affect results of spirometry. Fifty-eight (58) subjects undergoing GOR investigation with oesophageal manometry and 24hr pH monitoring were recruited. Oesophageal dysmotility and GOR were assessed as part of clinical care. Subjects performed 2 sets of spirometry separated by a 10-minute rest period. The assessment of GOR during spirometry procedure (defined by a lower oesophageal pH<4) started from the first set of spirometry and concluded when the second set of spirometry was completed. We calculated variability (%) of FEV1, FVC and PEFR within each set as well as changes over 10-minutes. Twenty-six subjects (45%) recorded GOR during assessment. Of these, 23 subjects recorded GOR during the 10-minute rest period. Four subjects had GOR recorded only during spirometry tests. We did not find variability of spirometry parameters between the groups with and without GOR during spirometry procedure. However, in subjects with GOR, we found small but significant reductions of PEFR (0.5L/s, 8%, p<0.001) and FEV1 (84 mL, 3%, p = 0.048) in the second set of spirometry compared to the first spirometry set. This pilot study demonstrates that GOR can occur during and following spirometry. Presence of GOR during spirometry in this patient population caused small decreases in PEFR and FEV1 when it is repeated 10-minutes later however not increase variability in a single series of measurements.
Project description:AIMS: To study the epidemiology and natural history of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study involving all 172 hospitals of the Department of Veterans Affairs. A total of 194,527 patients with GORD were followed between 1981 and 1994. Distribution of oesophagitis, oesophageal ulcer, oesophageal stricture, strictured hiatus hernia, hiatus hernia, and pyrosis by age, sex, and ethnicity were determined. The comorbid occurrence of various forms of GORD in identical patients was analysed by an age and race standardised morbidity ratio. The population of all hospitalised veterans was used for comparison. RESULTS: Severe forms of GORD associated with oesophageal erosions, ulcers, or strictures, affected elderly, white, male patients more often than their corresponding opposite demographic group. All forms of GORD clustered in the same patient population; on average, any form of GORD was 10 times more likely to occur in a patient with another form of GORD than without. The highest morbidity ratio (22) was found in oesophageal ulcer and stricture. About one third of all patients with oesophageal erosions, ulcers, or strictures also had hiatus hernia; 46% of patients with hiatus hernia were diagnosed as having other forms of GORD. While one third of all oesophageal strictures appeared in patients without other forms of GORD diagnosed at any time, oesophageal ulcers were always associated with some other form of GORD. No clear cut progression in different forms of GORD was found. CONCLUSIONS: Older age, male sex, and white ethnicity are risk factors in the development of severe forms of GORD. The most severe grade of GORD is reached at the onset of the disease.
Project description:Gastro-oesophageal reflux may cause a range of laryngeal and respiratory symptoms. Mechanisms responsible include the proximal migration of gastric refluxate beyond the upper oesophageal sphincter causing direct irritation of the larynx and lower airway. Alternatively, refluxate entering the distal oesophagus alone may stimulate oesophageal sensory nerves and indirectly activate airway reflexes such as cough and bronchospasm. Recognising reflux as a cause for these extraoesophageal symptoms can be difficult as many patients do not have typical oesophageal symptoms (eg, heartburn) and clinical findings on laryngoscopy are not very specific. Acid suppression remains an effective treatment in the majority of patients but there is growing appreciation of the need to consider and treat non-acid and volume reflux. New opinions about the role of existing medical and surgical (laparoscopic techniques) treatment are emerging and a number of novel anti-reflux treatments are under development.