Acid peptic disease in adolescents. How to avoid misdiagnosis and undertreatment

Acid peptic disease in adolescents may be more common than previously recognized. However, appropriate medical attention is often delayed because of misdiagnosis and undertreatment. Thorough questioning of adolescent patients is important to elicit a complete description of symptoms. Endoscopy or intraluminal pH monitoring may be necessary to establish a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease or peptic ulcer. Therapy with histamine receptor antagonists, especially ranitidine (Zantac), is recommended. Antireflux surgery may be needed to prevent potential long-term gastrointestinal damage. Patients with duodenal ulcer should also be advised to make life-style changes to avoid recurrence of disease later in life.