Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms and Diseases Associated with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Vol. 71, No. 2, 2005

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Original Paper

Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms and Diseases Associated with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Richárd Róka^a, András Rosztóczy^a, Ferenc Izbéki^a, Zoltán Taybani^b, Ildikó Kiss^c, János Lonovics^a, Tibor Wittmann^a

^aFirst Department of Medicine and
^bDepartment of Radiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, and
^cSecond Department of Internal Medicine, 'Réthy Pál' Hospital, Békéscsaba, Hungary

Address of Corresponding Author

Digestion 2005;71:92-96 (DOI: 10.1159/000084524)

Key Words

Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Respiratory complications
pH monitoring, 24-hour
Endoscopy

Abstract

Aim: Investigation of the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Patients and Methods: 299 subjects with GERD were submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and a symptom analysis. Results: Chronic respiratory symptoms or diseases were present in 18% (56/299). Chronic cough was observed in 42/56 patients, while typical reflux symptoms such as heartburn and acid regurgitation were observed in 30/56 and 24/56 cases, respectively. The prevalence of airway diseases was chronic bronchitis 12/56, asthma 10/56, recurrent pneumonia 10/56, chronic sinusitis 7/56 and chronic laryngitis 1/56. In patients with respiratory complications pathologic acid reflux was established in 29/51 cases on the basis of the DeMeester score, while 17/51 had pathologic postprandial, nocturnal or diurnal reflux events. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a normal esophageal mucosa in 6/56, Savary-Miller stage I esophagitis in 23/56, stage II in 15/56, stage III in 5/56 and stage IV in 6/56 patients. Conclusions: These investigations have demonstrated an abnormal 24-hour pH score in about half of the patients with GERD-associated respiratory complications, and indicated that short reflux events are characteristic of the reflux activity in one third of this population.

Author Contacts

Tibor Wittmann, MD, PhD
First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Szeged
PO Box 469
H-6701 Szeged (Hungary)
Tel. +36 62 545192, Fax +36 62 545997, E-Mail witt@in1st.szote.u-szeged.hu

Article Information

Received: March 4, 2004
Accepted: December 7, 2004
Published online: March 16, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 26

Medline Abstract (ID 15775676)

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