• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.1223-1230
• /
• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the effectiveness of Korean medicine (Beewha-eum) on the treatment of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) in a patient with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). Methods: The patient was diagnosed with a spleen-stomach weakness pattern identified by Korean medicine and was treated with herbal medicine (Beewha-eum). The severity of symptoms was assessed with a numerical rating scale (NRS) for chest pain, self-reported dyspepsia degree (%), Korean gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (KGSRS), gastrointestinal symptom score (GIS), and Functional Dyspepsia-Quality of Life(FD-QOL) score. Results: After Beewha-eum treatment, the severity of chest pain was decreased from NRS 8 to NRS 0 and the self-reported dyspepsia degree also decreased from 100% to 65%. The KGSRS score was decreased from 49 to 35, the GIS score was also decreased from 16 to 9, and the FD-QOL score was increased from 20 to 25. Conclusions: The study findings suggested that Korean medical treatment with Beewha-eum could be an effective option for treating NCCP in patients with NERD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.800-807
• /
• 2021

Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of Korean medical treatment for reflux esophagitis. Methods: We used Korean medical treatment (herbal medicines, acupuncture, herbal acupuncture, and therapy) to treat a hospitalized patient with reflux esophagitis. To evaluate the treatment, we measured the symptoms using the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for heartburn, acid reflux, chest pain, foreign body sensations in the throat, chronic cough, hoarseness, and bronchial asthma. The generic health status was evaluated using the European Quality of Life Five-Dimension (EQ-5d) Scale. Results: The RSI and EQ-5d scores improved following treatment, but the VAS scores showed that only heartburn, acid reflux, and chest pain symptoms were relieved. Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medicine may be effective for treating reflux esophagitis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2014

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of esophageal reflux-induced symptoms after gastrectomy owing to gastric cancer and assess the relationship between esophageal reflux-induced symptoms and quality of life. Materials and Methods: From January 2012 to May 2012, 332 patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The patients had a history of curative resection for gastric cancer at least 6 months previously without recurrence, other malignancy, or ongoing chemotherapy. Esophageal reflux-induced symptoms were evaluated with the GerdQ questionnaire. The quality of life was evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment QLQ-C30 and STO22 questionnaires. Results: Of the 332 patients, 275 had undergone subtotal gastrectomy and 57 had undergone total gastrectomy. The number of GerdQ(+) patients was 58 (21.1%) after subtotal gastrectomy, and 7 (12.3%) after total gastrectomy (P=0.127). GerdQ(+) patients showed significantly worse scores compared to those for GerdQ(-) patients in nearly all functional and symptom QLQ-C30 scales, with the difference in the mean score of global health status/quality of life and diarrhea symptoms being higher than in the minimal important difference. Additionally, in the QLQ STO22, GerdQ(+) patients had significantly worse scores in every symptom scale. The GerdQ score was negatively correlated with the global quality of life score (r=-0.170, P=0.002). Conclusions: Esophageal reflux-induced symptoms may develop at a similar rate or more frequently after subtotal gastrectomy compared to that after total gastrectomy, and decrease quality of life in gastric cancer patients. To improve quality of life after gastrectomy, new strategies are required to prevent or reduce esophageal reflux.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.12-19
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the quality of sleep in snoring obese children without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); and to study the possible relationship between sleep interruption and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in snoring obese children. Methods: Study subjects included 13 snoring obese children who were referred to our sleep lab for possible sleep-disordered breathing. Patients underwent multichannel intraluminal impedance and esophageal pH monitoring with simultaneous polysomnography. Exclusion criteria included history of fundoplication, cystic fibrosis, and infants under the age of 2 years. Significant association between arousals and awakenings with previous reflux were defined by symptom-association probability using 2-minute intervals. Results: Sleep efficiency ranged from 67-97% (median 81%). A total of 111 reflux episodes (90% acidic) were detected during sleep, but there were more episodes per hour during awake periods after sleep onset than during sleep (median 2.3 vs. 0.6, p=0.04). There were 279 total awakenings during the sleep study; 56 (20.1%) of them in 9 patients (69.2%) were preceded by reflux episodes (55 acid, 1 non-acid). In 5 patients (38.5%), awakenings were significantly associated with reflux. Conclusion: The data suggest that acid GER causes sleep interruptions in obese children who have symptoms of snoring or restless sleep and without evidence of OSA.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.59 no.5
• /
• pp.226-230
• /
• 2016

Purpose: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs in pediatric patients when reflux of gastric contents presents with troublesome symptoms. The present study compared the effects of omeprazole and ranitidine for the treatment of symptomatic GERD in infants of 2-12 months. Methods: This study was a clinical randomized double-blind trial and parallel-group comparison of omeprazole and ranitidine performed at Children Training Hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Patients received a standard treatment for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, the patients with persistent symptoms were enrolled in this randomized study. Results: We enrolled 76 patients in the present study and excluded 16 patients. Thirty patients each were included in group A (ranitidine) and in group B (omeprazole). GERD symptom score for groups A and B was $47.17{\pm}5.62$ and $51.93{\pm}5.42$, respectively, with a P value of 0.54, before the treatment and $2.47{\pm}0.58$ and $2.43{\pm}1.15$, respectively, after the treatment (P=0.98). No statistically significant differences were found between ranitidine and omeprazole in their efficacy for the treatment of GERD. Conclusion: The safety and efficacy of ranitidine and omeprazole have been demonstrated in infants. Both groups of infants showed a statistically significant decrease in the score of clinical variables after the treatment.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.143-149
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of pH monitoring at two levels, hypopharynx and esophagus in gastroesophageal reflux. Methods: 29 patients with pathological gastroesophageal reflux were classified into two groups: Group I had recurrent respiratory symptoms and Group II had not recurrent respiratory symptoms. The ambulatory pH monitoring was performed at the hypopharynx and the esophagus simultaneously with two channel catheter for 18~24 hr. The pathological reflux was defined when the percent of time that pH was below 4.0 exceeding the 95th percentile of normal value. Hypopharyngeal reflux was defined as the pharyngeal pH drops below 4. Results: 39 patients were performed pH monitoring at the level of hypopharynx and esophagus for 24 hours. Among 7 patients with chronic respiratory symptom, 6 patients (85.7%) have pathological esophageal reflux. Among 32 patients without chronic respiratory symptom, 23 patients (71.8%) have pathological esophageal reflux. Thus 29 out of 39 patients (74%) have pathological esophageal reflux. In the Group I, all parameters except the longest episode showed significant differences between hypopharyngeal and esophageal pH monitoring. None of parameters showed significant differences between group I and II in the pharyngeal pH monitoring. Conclusion: Regardless of presence of respiratory symptoms, the pH monitoring at the pharyngeal level in patients with gastroesophageal reflux did not showed any differences compared with the esophageal pH monitoring. Therefore we may reconsider the usefulness of hypopharyngeal pH monitoring in patients with chronic respiratory symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.88-96
• /
• 1996

In recently the gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) has been known to induce the otolaryngologic manifestations. Pharyngeal neurosis is a disease which we could have not found the cause frequently. So we have studied the relation between the pharyngeal neurosis and the GERD among 50 patients who were diagnosed as pharyngeal neurosis after esophagogram and laryngoscopic examination. We performed esophageal manometry and 24hour double-probe pH-metry and then compared with normal control group(n=30). The results are as follows 1 Among 50 patients, 12(24%) patients were diagnosed as GERD by DeMeester scoring. 2. In esophageal manometry, the upper and lower esophageal sphincter between the patients and the control group have no significant difference(p>0.05) and 9 among 50 pateints showed abnormal peristaltic movement in esophageal body contraction. 3. In 24hour double-probe pH-metry, the esophageal probe showed that in GERD group(n= 12) the number of reflux episode, episodes greater than 5 minutes and the percentage of time

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.27-30
• /
• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the endoscopic evidence of esophagitis in laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) patients using transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) and to correlate these findings with treatment response. Methods : Fifty patients underwent TNE at Korea University Anam Hospital from July 2007 to Feb 2009. Participants were selected from patients that presented with various laryngeal symptoms. One experienced otolaryngologist assessed esophagitis according to the Los Angeles classification system using the TNE findings. Results : Fifteen of 50 LPR patients (30%) were found to have esophagitis (12 patients with Grade A, 3 patients with Grade B, no patients with grade C/ D esophagitis). Among the 15 patients positive for esophagitis based on the endoscopic findings, 12 (80%) showed symptom improvement after pharmacological therapy. Symptom improvement was correlated with evidence of esophagitis (p=0.002) but not with RFS (p=0.749). Conclusion : Endoscopic evaluation of esophagitis using TNE is a potentially valuable tool for predicting treatment response in LPRD patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.1085-1095
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Lijin-tang-gamibang on refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods: This before-and-after study compared the first medical examination and examination at the end of medical treatment. Twelve refractory GERD patients who visited the Department of Digestive Diseases of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from August 14th, 2017 to October 14th, 2017, were treated with Lijin-tang-gamibang for four consecutive weeks. The clinical characteristics of refractory GERD and the efficacy of herbal medical treatment was assessed by questionnaires, the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K), the Korean Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (KGSRS), the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), the Korean version of the Perceived Stress Scale (KPSS-10), the Qi Stagnation Questionnaire (QSQ), the Spleen Qi Deficiency Questionnaire (SQDQ), and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Prolonged effects were reported upon the follow-up telephone survey two weeks after treatment. Results: After treatment with the herbal medicine Lijin-tang-gamibang, the clinical characteristics of 12 refractory GERD patients were improved, especially in terms of the most common symptoms of acid regurgitation and heartburn. Each symptom score of NDI-K, KGSRS, NRS, SQDQ, and PGIC showed significant advances. Prolonged effects were reported in NDI-K, NRS and PGIC questionnaires two weeks after treatment. Conclusions: These results suggest that Lijin-tang-gamibang is an effective treatment for refractory GERD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.287-294
• /
• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) according to globus sensation (GS). Methods: We reviewed the clinical records of 29 GERD patients who visited the Department of Digestive Diseases of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019. The subjects were classified according to the presence of globus sensation, and the two groups were compared in terms of heart rate variability (HRV) and the Ryodoraku results. Results: In comparing the GERD with GS group (GS group) and the GERD without GS group (non-GS group), a significant difference was found in the duration of symptom and several HRV parameters. The duration of the symptom in the GS group was significantly longer than that in the non-GS group. The non-GS group showed a significantly higher value of total power and high frequency than the GS group. Conclusions: The results suggest a significant difference in the stress level between patients with GERD with GS and those without GS. When approaching patients with GERD without GS, their stress status should be considered.