Related Experiment Videos
[pH-Testing - experience in clinical practice in a pulmonary division].
1Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf, Zentrum für Pneumologie und Thoraxchirurgie, Grosshansdorf. m.oldigs@kh-grosshansdorf.de
Pneumologie (Stuttgart, Germany)
|July 17, 2004
Summary
Gastroesophageal reflux is common in lung disease patients, even without typical symptoms. pH-testing is a reliable method to diagnose this reflux in pulmonary divisions.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Gastroenterology
Context:
- The link between lung conditions and gastroesophageal reflux is long-established.
- Pulmonary divisions are increasingly evaluating gastroesophageal reflux.
Purpose:
- To assess the evidence and clinical acceptance of pH-testing for diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux in a pulmonary setting.
- To evaluate the utility of pH-monitoring in patients with various lung diseases.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed pH-testing data from 186 patients in a pulmonary division between 2000 and 2004.
- 51% of patients exhibited pathological gastroesophageal reflux, with high prevalence in asthma (62%), chronic cough (57%), and COPD (33%) patients.
- pH-testing proved reliable and safe, identifying reflux even in asymptomatic individuals, though causality remains undetermined.
Impact:
- Highlights the frequent, often asymptomatic, presence of gastroesophageal reflux in pulmonary disease patients.
- Supports the use of pH-testing as a valuable diagnostic tool in pulmonology.
- Underscores the need for further research into the causal relationship between reflux and lung disease.