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. 2022 Mar 2;9(3):336.
doi: 10.3390/children9030336.

Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children with Asthma

Vasile Valeriu Lupu  1 , Ingrith Miron  1 , Elena Tarca  2 , Laura Mihaela Trandafir  1 , Dana-Teodora Anton-Paduraru  1 , Stefana Maria Moisa  1 , Magdalena Starcea  1 , Andrei Cernomaz  3 , Lucian Miron  3 , Ancuta Lupu  1
Affiliations

Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children with Asthma

Vasile Valeriu Lupu et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Nowadays it is considered that a specific causal relationship exists between asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (GER), because of the aspiration of gastric refluate which leads to and maintain spasticity even real crisis of paroxystic expiratory dyspnea. This study explores this relationship and evaluates the results after treatment. Methods: 56 children diagnosed with asthma, hospitalized in a regional center of pediatric gastroenterology in Northeast Romania, underwent 24-hour continuous esophageal pH monitoring in order to establish the presence of GER. The Boix-Ochoa score was used to interpret the results. Proton pump inhibitors were administered to those with GER and the patients were reevaluated after 2 months. Results: 39 patients (69.64%) had GER, with a Boix-Ochoa score above normal (N < 11.99), and 17 patients (30.36%) had normal score. After administering proton pump inhibitors for 2 months, 7 patients still had high Boix-Ochoa score (17.95%). The result of this analysis shows that the presence of asthma increases the chance of GER by 2.86 times. Conclusions: In children with asthma we have to look for GER in order to treat, because it can help the treatment of asthma or even solve some cases resistant to standard treatment.

Keywords: 24 h esophageal pH-metry; Boix-Ochoa score; asthma; children; gastroesophageal reflux.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Positive pH-metry (from the clinic’s collection).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The association of GER with asthma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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