Active clinical trials for "Gastroesophageal Reflux"

Evaluate burden of disease in Patients with newly occurred upper GI symptoms related to GERD (symptom frequency & severity, QoL, lifestyle modifications, self-medication) - baseline data according to GERD impact scale presenting to specialists, especially internists - Evaluate effect of treatment with a acid suppressive therapy on these parameters: looking for improvement of symptom burden and quality of life according to the GERD impact sca

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (heart-burn, acid regurgitation)may benefit from an educational program explaining the medical aspects of the disease, self-management strategies and how to deal with health services. We hypothesized that patients having participated in an educational program would experience an improved quality of life when compared to patients who did not take part (controls).

High Resolution Manometry (HRM) is a new advance in oesophageal measurement that permits the acquisition of pressure data through the entire length of the oesophagus over time via closely spaced sensors that continuously record the motor activity of the oesophagus. This allows not only contractile pressure to be measured, but also the coordination (proximal-distal) of contractions and the development of effective intra-bolus pressure (the force that drives bolus movement). The study hypothesis is that (1) there will be a progressive increase in peristaltic pressure and decrease in velocity as the subjects move from the upright, through the supine to the upside down position and (2) the increase in pressure will be most evident in the mid-oesophagus at the transition zone between the striated and the smooth muscle contractions.

The purpose of this research study is to see if GE reflux events are associated with increasing levels of pepsin in spit samples. Pepsin is a special protein called an "enzyme" that is made only in your stomach. It is not normally found in your throat. Pepsin breaks down food proteins that you eat to form nutritional building blocks that your body can use to grow. An enzyme is a substance that helps break down proteins. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very common in infants and children, but can result in serious health problems if not accurately diagnosed. The investigators currently do not have a definitive test to be used as a standard for diagnosing pediatric GERD. Measurement of pepsin, an enzyme normally produced only in the stomach, has been used as a non-invasive way to detect gastric aspiration (reflux of stomach fluid into the airway) in both adults and children, but using pepsin to detect reflux has not been tested. Since pepsin should not be present in the normal esophagus and respiratory tract, but is always present in reflux fluid from the stomach, the investigators believe that the more GE reflux the investigators detect, the higher the levels of pepsin the investigators see in the fluid collected from the mouth. If patients do not have GE reflux, but have swallowing problems alone in which food or liquid goes into the airway, the investigators expect that these patients will have no pepsin in the fluid collected from their mouth. The investigators will test these hypotheses by measuring pepsin levels from mouth fluid and comparing them with the number of GE reflux events the investigators find using the pH/impedance (MII (multichannel intraluminal impedance)) test. Since the investigators are interested in pepsin levels for all types of reflux - acid and non-acid -the investigators will study children whether or not they are on acid blocking medicines. The investigators will also look at pepsin levels in patients whose pH/MII is normal, but have aspiration alone that the investigators find on a modified barium swallow (MBS) study. The investigators will measure pepsin levels in healthy children with no reflux symptoms and no swallowing problems as the investigators controls. The investigators anticipate that this study will show a positive correlation between GE reflux events and the presence of oropharyngeal pepsin, which may allow us to use pepsin as a way to test for reflux.

Achalasia is a rare motility disorder of the oesophagus that is characterized by aperistalsis of the oesophagal body and dysrelaxation of the lower oesophagal sphincter (LES). Current treatment is palliative, and the aim of the treatment is to diminish the obstructive function of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ). Due to this approach, the most frequent complication post-treatment is gastroesophageal reflux (GER). However, not every treated patient develops GER symptoms and the mechanism behind the occurrence of GER in treated achalasia are unclear. In this study, we aim to Investigate the incidence of reflux in patients after peroral endoscopic myotomy in patients with achalasia cardia.

The diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is often based on 24-hour catheter-based pH studies. The Bravo™ wireless pH monitoring revolutionised the study of GORD, allowing patients an improved comfort and ability to perform activities of daily living. The backflow of gastric acid (acid exposure) in the oesophagus is monitored by a tiny pH sensor located in a capsule which is pinned temporarily to the wall of the oesophagus at the time of endoscopy. Normal measurements (also called parameters) for acid exposure are established for 48-hour studies. However, our studies have shown that extending the duration of recording to 96 hours further improved the diagnostic yield for GORD in patients with negative 24-hour catheter-based tests. While pathologic acid exposure and symptom-reflux association in catheter-based pH studies anticipate a successful outcome after anti-reflux surgery, the clinical relevance of increasing the duration of recording is lacking. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the result of participants Bravo test and their symptoms on their usual medication. This is a single centre, prospective, observational study enrolling males and non-pregnant females over the age of 18 years with gastro-oesophageal symptoms in accordance with Montreal criteria and who have clinical indications for Bravo™. The study is based on questionnaires. All clinical interventions, including 96-hour Bravo™ pH monitoring, temporary cessation of medication and outpatient clinic follow-up is offered as routine medical care, regardless of their participation in the study. Patients will be contacted over the phone ten days before the procedure by a member of the research team involved in their clinical care and asked whether they would be interested in joining the study. Participants will complete a "baseline" 7-day recall Reflux Symptom Questionnaire (RESQ-7) before having Bravo™ for 96 hours. Participants will have a telephone follow-up at 4 weeks and 8 weeks to assess their symptoms based on the RESQ-7 questionnaire. We anticipate the recruitment of 100 subjects over 14 months. The final endpoints will be achieved 6 months after the last patient has been interviewed.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common condition, where acid from the stomach leaks up into the oesophagus (gullet) and causes symptoms such as heartburn and an unpleasant taste in the back of the mouth. GORD can often be controlled with self-help measures and medication. Occasionally, surgery to correct the problem may be needed. A laparoscopic fundoplication is a keyhole (laparoscopic) procedure which is a highly effective treatment. Although reflux-related symptoms are absent or well controlled in over 85% of patients at 5 years after the operation, younger patients may have higher expectations that such an operation would hopefully last decades. Oesophageal physiology tests such as 24-hour catheter pH (potential of hydrogen) and impedance involve passing a small tube into oesophagus via patients' nose to monitor the presence of stomach content (acid or non-acid) in the oesophagus. The manometry test measures the pressures and coordination of pressure activity within the oesophagus. Bravo™ wireless pH monitoring uses a capsule that is attached to the oesophageal lining. These tests are often used as part of a pre-operative evaluation before anti-reflux surgery (ARS). Several measurements in these tests (also called parameters) could potentially anticipate clinical outcomes following anti-reflux surgery. The evidence for parameters like duration of acid exposure, number of reflux episodes and association with symptoms, pressures and co-ordination of pressure activity in the oesophagus, came from studies which were not designed in the most rigorous way to determine whether a cause-effect relation exists between treatment and outcome. This is a single centre, retrospective, observational study in which patients who had pre-operative physiology testing and anti-reflux surgery at a tertiary centre in the last 10 years will be assessed for reflux symptoms and quality of life over the phone, based on three validated questionnaires. The study is designed to evaluate correlations between oesophageal physiology parameters and symptomatic response to ARS.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) is considered the weight loss procedure of choice for patients suffering of gastro-esophageal reflux (GER). However, long term instrumental evaluations of GER after LRYGB are not available. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term effects of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) on gastro-esophageal function.

The goal of this research is to test the imaging quality of the modified, larger diameter, tethered Spectrally Encoded Confocal Microscopy (SECM) capsule in healthy subjects, subjects with Barrett's Esophagus (BE), and subjects with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Due to several promoting factors, gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) is very frequent in preterm infants. To limit the potentially harmful widespread of pharmacological treatment, a step-wise approach, which firstly undertakes conservative strategies, is currently considered the best choice to manage GER in the preterm population. Among the most common conservative strategies, postural measures seem to effectively reduce GER features in symptomatic preterm babies, whereas feed thickening is almost ineffective. Due to their prematurity, preterm infants <34 weeks gestation are often unable to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing, thus requiring a feeding tube to ensure adequate enteral intakes. Continuous feeding and boluses are the most common techniques of enteral tube feeding in Neonatal Intensive Care Units; at present, however, the effects of these techniques on GER features have not been clearly established. This observational, prospective and explorative study primarily aims to evaluate the effect of different techniques of enteral tube feeding on GER frequency and features in symptomatic preterm infants (gestational age ≤33 weeks) undergoing a diagnostic combined pH and multiple intraluminal impedance (pH-MII) for GER evaluation.