Gastro-esophageal reflux and asthma. Clinical experience
Barberio, G.; Ruggeri, C.; Pajno, G.B.; Morabito, L.; Pollicino, A.; Di Pasquale, F.; Terranova, M.L.
Minerva Pediatrica 41(7): 363-366
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-4946 PMID: 2601653 Document Number: 335023
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) may contribute to the persistence of asthma and may be triggered and/or exacerbated by treatment with bronchodilatory and cortisone drugs. For this reason, GER should be suspected in patients with asthma non-responsive to treatment. In fact in this series 24 hour pH monitoring revealed GER in 7 out of 9 (77%) patients with persistent asthma. The use of a personally developed diagnostic protocol permitted the identification of various situations in 4 patients who completed the study: one coincidental association, one GER caused by theophylline and constituting the main cause of the bronchial obstruction.