The management of patients with new onset of upper gastro-intestinal symptoms in primary care

Abstract

Background: Data dealing with dyspepsia management in general practice are lacking, and most of the studies investigated a subset of patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease either with or without previous complaints.

Aims: To evaluate the one-year management of patients presenting new onset upper abdominal symptoms without alarming features.

Methods: 275 patients were enrolled by 63 Italian general practitioners.

Results: Referral to upper gastro-intestinal tract endoscopy resulted significantly higher in patients with predominant epigastric pain compared to subjects with non-painful symptoms or non-dominant symptoms. Amongst drug therapies, only prokinetics and antacids and anti-secretory therapies were prescribed differently amongst clinical subgroups. The rate and type of management and referrals resulted were not influenced by the age of patients or the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. The most frequent diagnosis at one-year follow-up was reflux oesophagitis. The absence of organic disease was less frequent in patients with dominant epigastric pain than non-painful or non-dominant symptoms.

Conclusion: The management of these patients in primary care in Italy is mainly determined by clinical presentation, independent of age. Any judgement about appropriateness of the treatment should consider not only conventional features such as age, but the more complex individual frameworks as well.