New test could aid children suffering from reflux diseaseJune 17, 2008Nuclear medicine could improve diagnosis, treatment of reflux in children with respiratory problems NEW ORLEANS, La.-A nuclear medicine imaging test was used to confirm that children with respiratory problems may be more likely to develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to researchers at SNM's 55th Annual Meeting. The nuclear imaging technique, known as scintigraphy, was also shown to be more effective in detecting the disease in these children than traditional barium X-ray technology. The results indicate that scintigraphy could become an important diagnostic tool for detecting reflux disease, a serious condition that can lead to chronic chest pain, vomiting, weight loss and lung impairment in children who suffer from it. "Unfortunately, reflux disease is a common problem in children, especially for those with respiratory problems," said Wajiha Nasir, a researcher at the Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), Islamabad, Pakistan. "If left untreated, the disease can seriously impede children's health, growth and development, not to mention their quality of life. Our results show that scintigraphy is highly effective at safely diagnosing the condition."
Reflux disease occurs when the esophagus becomes irritated or inflamed by stomach contents. The stomach produces hydrochloric acid after a meal to aid in the digestion of food. Normally, a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus, called the lower esophageal sphincter, prevents the acid from going back up the esophagus. With reflux disease, however, the sphincter relaxes between swallows, allowing stomach contents and corrosive acid to well up and damage the lining of the esophagus. The chronic condition affects up to a third of adults, and many infants and children also suffer from it. Some of these children outgrow the condition as their digestive systems mature, but many do not. Researchers have long suspected that children who have respiratory problems such as asthma might also be more susceptible to reflux disease. Scintigraphy is a diagnostic test in which a two-dimensional picture is obtained through detection of a radiation emitted by a radioactive source given to the body. In this study, 55 children aged six months to 12 years who had asthma or lower respiratory tract infections were orally administered a commonly used radioactive imaging agent that was then detected through scintigraphy technology. The test detected reflux disease in 66.6 percent of the children, revealing a strong association between reflux disease and respiratory disease. In addition, scintigraphy proved more effective at detecting the disease than traditional barium x-rays. Children in the study who exhibited reflux disease were given medication to treat reflux. At a three-month follow-up visit, most of the children's symptoms had improved after receiving the medication. "Scintigraphy is one of the simplest radionuclide tests to administer, with a very low radiation burden," said Nasir. If performed routinely for children suffering from bronchial asthma and recurrent respiratory tract infections, this test could get children the treatment they deserve." Society of Nuclear Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Reflux Disease News Articles Obesity raises risks of serious digestive health concerns The prevalence of obesity and overweight in the United States coupled by the increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases related to obesity raises serious implications for the health of Americans. Researchers find differences in swallowing mechanism of Rett syndrome patients Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have found that the reflux and swallowing problems that are common symptoms in patients with Rett syndrome and other neurological impairments, may be caused by a different mechanism than they are in healthy individuals. ASGE issues guidelines on the role of endoscopy in the bariatric surgery patient The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has issued guidelines on the role of endoscopy in the bariatric surgery patient. Scientists identify how gastric reflux may trigger asthma Researchers at Duke University Medical Center appear to have solved at least a piece of a puzzle that has mystified physicians for years: why so many patients with asthma also suffer from GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Nearly 40 percent of GERD patients taking PPIs experience recurring symptoms Despite daily use of doctor-recommended proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to control gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, nearly 40 percent of patients who take them continue to experience breakthrough, which is a return of GERD symptoms, such as acid regurgitation and heartburn. Age, burden, divorce and heavy tea consumption are significant risk factors for erosive esophagitis Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disorder with a high incidence rate in adults of 10 - 38%. The diagnosis and treatment of GERD are therefore important because the disease, in addition to the highly disturbing typical symptoms, has a series of known consequences. Study measures impact on productivity from functional gastrointestinal disorders Those who suffer from common functional gastrointestinal disorders face work productivity losses and impairments in daily activity that amount to the loss of at least one day of work in a 40-hour workweek. New studies reveal that night-time acid reflux can impact sleep According to results of a survey presented at the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, nighttime acid reflux, along with some of the less typical manifestations or symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is associated with significant sleep impairment. Electroacupuncture at PC6 may decrease frequency of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation The First Hospital of Peking University, China-Research, has shown that electroacupuncture at PC6 may decrease the frequency of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR), which is the main mechanism underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Obesity boosts gullet cancer risk 6-fold Obese people are six times as likely to develop gullet (oesophageal) cancer as people of 'healthy' weight, shows research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. More Reflux Disease News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||