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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
[Respiratory symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux in children]
Ioana Alina Anca1, Alina Stănescu Popp, Mihaela Oros
1Institutul de Ocrotire a Mamei şi Copilului, Bucure,sti. ioanalina@yahoo.com
Insights
Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux (GER) can cause respiratory symptoms. Anti-reflux therapy successfully resolved respiratory complications in three children with GERD, highlighting the importance of considering GERD in respiratory cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Respiratory symptoms are common in pediatric referrals, often attributed to infections.
- Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux (GER) recognition has increased due to awareness and diagnostic advancements.
- Distinguishing functional from pathological GER depends on complications, not just reflux episode frequency or severity.
Observation:
- Three pediatric cases presented with distinct respiratory complications and non-specific clinical pictures.
- These cases involved gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Diagnostic tools include 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and real-time ultrasound of the eso-gastric junction.
Findings:
- Anti-reflux therapy led to successful remission of symptoms in all three reported cases.
- GERD was the underlying cause of the respiratory complications.
- The study highlights successful treatment outcomes for GERD-related respiratory issues.
Implications:
- This suggests GERD should be considered in pediatric respiratory cases with unclear origins.
- Effective management of GERD can resolve associated respiratory problems.
- Early diagnosis and treatment of GERD may prevent prolonged respiratory symptoms in children.
Abstract:
In the current pediatric practice, respiratory symptoms are one of the most common reasons that lead to referral to a pediatric specialist. Although most such symptoms are generated by respiratory causes, mainly infectious ones, sometimes extra-respiratory pathogenesis is involved. In the last twenty years, pediatric gastroesophageal reflux (GER) has been more frequently recognized both because the increased awareness of the disease and the progresses concerning the diagnostic techniques. The reflux-related complications and not necessarily the number and severity of reflux episodes are the features which help distinguishing between functional or physiologic and pathologic GER. The actual gold standard for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnosis is the twenty-four-hour pH monitoring of the distal esophagus. Real time ultrasound examination of the eso-gastric junction might also raise the suspicion of GERD. We report three clinical cases of GERD with distinct respiratory complications and non specific clinical picture in which anti-reflux therapy have successfully contributed symptoms remission.
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