All issues > Volume 31(4); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(4):427-435. Published online April 30, 1988.

Gastroesophageal Reflux in Ingants and Clinical Experience with 24-Hour Esophageal pH Monitoring.

Kum Ja Choi¹, Keun Lee²

¹Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea

Received: September 1, 1987;  Accepted: December 11, 1987.

Abstract

Gastroesophageal reflux defined as a dysfunction of the distal esophagus is a major cause of recurrent vomiting and failure to thrive in newborns and young infants. In infants, the differentiation between pathologic, pernicous vomiting and normal “burping” with regurgitation has been difficult until the far advanced complications of weight loss, failure to thrive, anemia from ulcerating esophagitis, or stricutre have been obvious. A number of tests for evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux include barium esophagram, gastroeso- phageal scintiscan, esophagoscopy with or without esophageal biopsy, esophageal manometry, and standard acid reflux test. However the 24-hour pH monitoring of the distal esophagus deserves the most reliable, sensitive, and precise test correlating data with disease in infants. This report for the first time in Korea describes the application of this technique and the clinical experience with eight symptomatic and one asymptomatic infants.

Keywords :Gastroesophageal reflux, 24-hour esophageal pH Monitoring