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Reflux Esophagitis and the Child with Heartburn

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Esophageal and Gastric Disorders in Infancy and Childhood

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Abstract

Heartburn or substernal burning pain is a symptom of GERD with or without esophagitis [1]. Recent consensus statements suggest that typical heartburn is a reliable indicator for GERD in adolescents and adults if it is the dominant symptom [2, 3]. Recent adult and pediatric consensus guidelines have applied the terms “typical reflux syndrome” or “reflux chest pain syndrome” to this presentation [2, 3]. One study in adults found that dominant heartburn had a positive predictive value of 81 % for GERD determined by pH study [4], but other studies have not confirmed this close association between history and test results [5]. Esophageal pH probe results are normal in one third of adults with chronic heartburn, even those whose heartburn is reproduced by esophageal acid perfusion and those who respond favorably to antacids. Some adults with heartburn and normal pH studies have endoscopically proven esophagitis [6]. In older children and adolescents, the description and localization of heartburn pain are probably reliable. In young children, however, symptom descriptions and localization may be unreliable [7–12].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Foundation Trust, Centre for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Sheffield, S10 2TH, UK

    Mike Thomson

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  1. Mike Thomson
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Correspondence to Mike Thomson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    Holger Till

  2. Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Paediatric Gastroenterology Centre, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Mike Thomson

  3. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    John E. Foker

  4. Department Surgery, University of Missouri, Kansas City Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

    George W. Holcomb III

  5. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Khalid M. Khan

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Thomson, M. (2017). Reflux Esophagitis and the Child with Heartburn. In: Till, H., Thomson, M., Foker, J., Holcomb III, G., Khan, K. (eds) Esophageal and Gastric Disorders in Infancy and Childhood. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11202-7_102

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11202-7_102

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-11201-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-11202-7

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