Digestive and respiratory symptoms and parameters of 24 hours pHmetry in children with pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), has a high morbidity-mortality. The gold standard is the 24 hours pHmetry (pH24h). The objective is to determine the relationship between symptoms and parameters of pH24h.
Methods: This is a comparative, descriptive, and retrospective study. N=35 children <14 years old suffering GERD, from the HUV in Cali, Colombia. Data: age, gender, symptoms and stature were taken. Children were divided into three groups: digestive (group 1), respiratory (group 2) and mixed (group 3). They were classified as chronic undernourished (deficit height/age >5%) according to tables from the NCHS. From pH24h were taken: reflux index (RI), number of acid episodes, number of episodes >5 min and duration of the longest episode and association with symptoms. The statistical analysis was the Student’s test t, having p<0.05 as significant.
Results: 35 children were included (47.9±41.3 months), 20 males, 2 with digestive symptoms, 17 with respiratory and 16 with both symptoms, with a deficit of H/A= 8.0±10.89%. 20 (57.1%) pH24h were abnormal by Vandenplas’ criterion: 12 in group 1, 1 in group 2 and 7 in group 3. The parameters of pH24h were: IR 5.25±4.94%; number of acid episodes 77.21±78.96; number of acid episodes >5 min 1.30±3.67 and the duration of the longest episode 9.36±20.06 min. There were no significant differences between the parameters of pH24h and the study groups (p>0.05). The respiratory group showed pH24h parameters more involved: IR 4.75±5.17%, number of acid episodes 79.17±79.76, number of acid episodes >5 min 2.29±4.97 and duration of the longest episode 15.0±27.04 min; the same as their nutritional status (p=0.003).
Conclusion: There was no significant association between pH24h parameters and symptoms; however, respiratory symptoms group had a higher compromise of the pH24h parameters and nutritional status.