Related Experiment Videos
Chronic bronchopulmonary disease and gastroesophageal reflux in children
Insights
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a likely cause of chronic bronchopulmonary disease (CBPD) in children. Antireflux therapy significantly improved CBPD symptoms in children with abnormal reflux scores.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Chronic bronchopulmonary disease (CBPD) affects many children.
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a potential contributing factor to pediatric respiratory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and impact of GER in children with CBPD.
- To establish a relationship between CBPD activity and GER severity.
Main Methods:
- Studied 54 children with CBPD.
- Utilized barium esophagography, endoscopy, and prolonged esophageal pH probe monitoring.
- Developed CBPD activity and GER scores.
Main Results:
- Abnormal findings in esophagography (67%), endoscopy (78%), and pH monitoring (53%).
- Significant correlation found between CBPD activity and GER scores.
- Antireflux therapy improved CBPD scores in patients with abnormal GER (mean score 4.4 to 1.3, P<0.01).
Conclusions:
- GER is strongly implicated as a cause of bronchopulmonary symptoms in children with CBPD.
- Antireflux therapy is effective for children with CBPD and abnormal GER.
- Children with normal GER scores did not benefit from antireflux therapy.
Abstract:
Fifty-four children who had chronic bronchopulmonary disease (CBPD) were investigated for the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux (GER). An activity score for CBPD and a numerical reflux score using criteria from a pH probe study were established. Results of barium esophagography, endoscopy, and prolonged esophageal pH probe monitoring were abnormal in 67, 78, and 53% of the patients, respectively. A significant relationship was found between the CBPD activity score and the reflux score; this strongly suggests that, in the patients studied, GER was responsible for the bronchopulmonary symptoms. Antireflux therapy resulted in an improvement of the CBPD activity score in all patients who had abnormal reflux scores. The mean CBPD activity score was 4.4 and 1.3 before and after antireflux therapy, respectively (P less than 0.01). Most patients who had normal reflux scores did not improve on antireflux therapy.