Best Practices in Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease: A Multidisciplinary Modified Delphi Study.

BACKGROUND: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a common otolaryngologic diagnosis. Treatment of presumed LPR remains challenging, and limited frameworks exist to guide treatment. METHODS: Using RAND/University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Appropriateness Methods, a modified Delphi approach identified consensus statements to guide LPR treatment. Experts independently and blindly scored proposed statements on importance, scientific acceptability, usability, and feasibility in a four-round iterative process. Accepted measures reached scores with ≥ 80% agreement in the 7-9 range (on a 9-point Likert scale) across all four categories. RESULTS: Fifteen experts rated 36 proposed initial statements. In round one, 10 (27.8%) statements were rated as valid. In round two, 8 statements were modified based on panel suggestions, and experts subsequently rated 5 of these statements as valid. Round three's discussion refined statements not yet accepted, and in round four, additional voting identified 2 additional statements as valid. In total, 17 (47.2%) best practice statements reached consensus, touching on topics as varied as role of empiric treatment, medication use, lifestyle modifications, and indications for laryngoscopy. CONCLUSION: Using a well-tested methodology, best practice statements in the treatment of LPR were identified. The statements serve to guide physicians on LPR treatment considerations.

Whose patient is it? The path to multidisciplinary management of achalasia.

In the past decade, the introduction of high-resolution manometry and the classification of achalasia into subtypes has made possible to accurately diagnose the disease and predict the response to treatment for its different subtypes. However, even to date, in an era of exponential medical progress and increased insight in disease mechanisms, treatment of patients with achalasia is still rather simplistic and mostly confined to mechanical disruption of the lower esophageal sphincter by different means. In addition, there is partial consensus on what is the best form of available treatments for patients with achalasia. Herein, we provide a comprehensive outlook to a general approach to the patient with suspected achalasia by: 1) defining the modern evaluation process; 2) describing the diagnostic value of high-resolution manometry and the Chicago Classification in predicting treatment outcomes and 3) discussing the available treatment options, considering the patient conditions, alternatives available to both the surgeon and the gastroenterologist, and the burden to the health care system. It is our hope that such discussion will contribute to value-based management of achalasia through promoting a leaner clinical flow of patients at all points of care.

Evaluation of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may present with heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia, chronic cough, laryngitis, or even asthma. The clinical presentation of GERD is therefore varied and poses certain challenges to the physician, especially given the limitations of the diagnostic testing. DISCUSSION: The evaluation of patients with suspected GERD might be challenging. It is based on the evaluation of clinical features, objective evidence of reflux on diagnostic testing, correlation of symptoms with episodes of reflux, evaluation of anatomical abnormalities, and excluding other causes that might account for the presence of the patient's symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic evaluation should include multiple tests, in addition to a thorough clinical examination.

Improvement of Postoperative Pain Control Processes and Outcomes in Veterans of a Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain remains undertreated in critically ill patients. We hypothesized that the adequacy of pain control in our Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) was above the reported average of 71 % in the literature and that the introduction of the critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) could improve it. We used a Lean Six Sigma methodology to improve our processes and quantify our improvement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively review 713 consecutive veterans admitted to our SICU. Between December 2014 and February 2015, postoperative pain was assessed every 2 h and rated "acceptable," "unacceptable," or "unable to assess". Between March 2015 and October 2015, postoperative pain was assessed with CPOT. Concurrently, we implemented a postoperative pain education program and documented this activity in the electronic medical record. RESULTS: The baseline adequacy of pain control was 78 %, which improved to 99 % after the introduction of CPOT. We concurrently achieved a 100 % median documentation of postoperative pain education in the electronic medical record. The introduction of CPOT improved the process σ from 2.3 to 3.8. The process of documenting pain education achieved a process σ of 3.1. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of veterans with acceptable pain control in our SICU is higher than that reported in the literature and the application of a Six Sigma methodology that involved the introduction of the CPOT has allowed us to improve the perception of pain control and comply with the newest regulatory directives.

Surgical Treatment of Extraesophageal Manifestations of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To review the current literature on the role of antireflux surgery (ARS) for the treatment of extraesophageal manifestations of GERD. The extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) include chronic cough, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and asthma. They are responsible for significant morbidity in affected patients and a high economic burden on healthcare resources. We recently published a larger review on the symptoms, diagnosis, medical, and surgical treatment of the extraesophageal manifestations of GERD. Through our investigation, we found that the role of ARS for respiratory symptoms was unclear. Hence, we resorted through the data of our previous meta-analysis to compile a comprehensive and focused review on the role of ARS for respiratory symptoms. METHODS: Using the archive of our previous meta-analysis, we selected studies extracted from the MEDLINE, Cochran, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases pertaining to the surgical treatment of extraesophageal manifestations of reflux (cough laryngopharyngeal reflux, and asthma). We applied a similar reporting methodology as was used in our previous manuscript and then hand searched the bibliographies of included studies yielding a total of 27 articles for review. We graded the level of evidence and classified recommendations by size of treatment effect per the American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. RESULTS: Observational data indicated that syndromes of chronic cough, laryngopharyngeal reflux and asthma might improve after antireflux surgery only in highly selected patients-likely those with non-acid reflux-while those patients with objective markers of asthma severity do not. Because of the varied methods of diagnosis and surgical technique, non-comparative observational data may be unreliable. Additionally, our search found no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antireflux surgery to medical therapy in the treatment of cough or laryngopharyngeal reflux. One RCT compared medical treatment to antireflux surgery in patients with asthma, but medical treatment included high-dose H2 blockers instead of PPIs. CONCLUSIONS: Extraesophageal manifestations of GERD are common, costly, and difficult to treat. ARS might be effective in highly selected patients, especially in those whose extraesophageal manifestations are caused by non-acid reflux. The available data to date are generally of poor quality or outdated. Well-designed randomized controlled trials or large-scale observational cohort studies are urgently needed.

Trauma education in a state of emergency: a curriculum-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Trauma is the leading cause of death from ages 1-44-y in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death overall, but there are few studies quantifying trauma education in medical school. This study reviews curriculum hours devoted to trauma education at a northeastern medical school. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the preclinical curriculum at a northeastern medical school affiliated with three adult and two pediatric level I trauma centers verified by the American College of Surgeons. We reviewed curricular hours and we categorized them according to the leading ten causes of death in the United States. We also compared the number of educational hours devoted to trauma to other leading causes of death. RESULTS: The total amount of time devoted to trauma education in the first 2 y of medical school was 6.5 h. No lectures were given on the fundamentals of trauma management, traumatic brain injury, or chest or abdominal trauma. The most covered topic was heart disease (128 h), followed by chronic lower respiratory disease (80 h). Curricular time for heart disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes, renal disease, and influenza and pneumonia far exceeded that devoted to trauma, after adjusting for the mortality burden of these diseases (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that trauma education at a northeastern medical school is nearly absent. With the large burden of trauma and rise in mass casualty incidence, the preclinical curriculum might not be sufficient to expose students to the fundamentals of trauma management. A broader multi-institutional study may shed more insight on these curricular deficiencies in trauma education and detect if these deficiencies are widespread nationally.

Achalasia and epiphrenic diverticulum.

Epiphrenic diverticula are a rare disease almost always associated with an underlying motility disorder of the esophagus, such as achalasia. Treatment of any underlying motility disorder must be included in the management of epiphrenic diverticula to prevent postoperative complications and recurrences. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to describe the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and proper methods of diagnosis and treatment of patients with epiphrenic diverticula. In addition, we aim to provide an overview of the surgical management and discuss the indications for surgery and choice of surgical approach. In general, surgical intervention is favored for symptomatic patients and the optimal surgical approach depends on the size and location of the diverticulum. Surgery is not without seemingly high rates of morbidity when a myotomy is not performed together with the diverticulectomy, even in those with normal manometry. The risk of carcinoma is exceedingly rare and it is usually discovered at later stages; therefore, no surveillance programs have been established in asymptomatic patients with unresected diverticula.

Diagnostic evaluation of achalasia: from the whalebone to the Chicago classification.

From the earliest description of dysphagia relieved by dilatation with a whalebone in 1674 we have witnessed the evolution of esophageal function testing from the conventional manometry to the high-resolution manometry (HRM) and esophageal topography pressure plotting that have led to the revised Chicago classification for esophageal motility disorders in 2014. The goals of this paper are, therefore, (1) to highlight the historical milestones that have led to the diagnostic definition of achalasia, as we know it today; (2) to describe the evaluation process of patients with suspected achalasia; (3) to describe the diagnostic value of the HRM and the usefulness of the Chicago classification in predicting treatment outcomes. The value of Chicago classification is linked to the ability of the clinician to perform a thorough clinical evaluation to identify and correlate specific clinical phenotypes to specific manometric subtypes and predict treatment outcomes. Chicago classification, however, cannot predict which treatment, pneumatic dilatation, or Heller myotomy, should be selected for those with a specific subtype of achalasia.

The diagnostic value of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and detection of pepsin and bile acids in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and exhaled breath condensate for identifying lung transplantation patients with GERD-induced aspiration.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is thought to lead to aspiration and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation. Unfortunately, the identification of patients with GERD who aspirate still lacks clear diagnostic indicators. The authors hypothesized that symptoms of GERD and detection of pepsin and bile acids in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) are effective for identifying lung transplantation patients with GERD-induced aspiration. METHODS: From November 2009 to November 2010, 85 lung transplantation patients undergoing surveillance bronchoscopy were prospectively enrolled. For these patients, self-reported symptoms of GERD were correlated with levels of pepsin and bile acids in BAL and EBC and with GERD status assessed by 24-h pH monitoring. The sensitivity and specificity of pepsin and bile acids in BAL and EBC also were compared with the presence of GERD in 24-h pH monitoring. RESULTS: The typical symptoms of GERD (heartburn and regurgitation) had modest sensitivity and specificity for detecting GERD and aspiration. The atypical symptoms of GERD (aspiration and bronchitis) showed better identification of aspiration as measured by detection of pepsin and bile acids in BAL. The sensitivity and specificity of pepsin in BAL compared with GERD by 24-h pH monitoring were respectively 60 and 45 %, whereas the sensitivity and specificity of bile acids in BAL were 67 and 80 %. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the measurement of pepsin and bile acids in BAL can provide additional data for identifying lung transplantation patients at risk for GERD-induced aspiration compared with symptoms or 24-h pH monitoring alone. These results support a diagnostic role for detecting markers of aspiration in BAL, but this must be validated in larger studies.

The Dubai Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: The IFOS Consensus.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to gather an international consensus group to propose a global definition and diagnostic approach of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) to guide primary care and specialist physicians in the management of LPR. METHODS: Forty-eight international experts (otolaryngologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, and physiologists) were included in a modified Delphi process to revise 48 statements about definition, clinical presentation, and diagnostic approaches to LPR. Three voting rounds determined a consensus statement to be acceptable when 80% of experts agreed with a rating of at least 8/10. Votes were anonymous and the analyses of voting rounds were performed by an independent statistician. RESULTS: After the third round, 79.2% of statements (N = 38/48) were approved. LPR was defined as a disease of the upper aerodigestive tract resulting from the direct and/or indirect effects of gastroduodenal content reflux, inducing morphological and/or neurological changes in the upper aerodigestive tract. LPR is associated with recognized non-specific laryngeal and extra-laryngeal symptoms and signs that can be evaluated with validated patient-reported outcome questionnaires and clinical instruments. The hypopharyngeal-esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH testing can suggest the diagnosis of LPR when there is >1 acid, weakly acid or nonacid hypopharyngeal reflux event in 24 h. CONCLUSION: A global consensus definition for LPR is presented to improve detection and diagnosis of the disease for otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, and primary care practitioners. The approved statements are offered to improve collaborative research by adopting common and validated diagnostic approaches to LPR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5 Laryngoscope, 134:1614-1624, 2024.

Pepsin concentrations are elevated in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Aspiration of gastroesophageal refluxate has been implicated in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and the progression of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation. The goals of the present study were to identify lung transplant patients at the greatest risk of aspiration and to investigate the causative factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2009 to November 2011, 252 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected from 100 lung transplant patients. The BALF pepsin concentrations and the results of transbronchial biopsy, esophageal function testing, barium swallow, and gastric emptying scan were compared among those with the most common end-stage lung diseases requiring lung transplantation: IPF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and α1-antitrypsin deficiency. RESULTS: Patients with IPF had higher BALF pepsin concentrations and a greater frequency of acute rejection than those with α1-antitrypsin deficiency, cystic fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P = 0.037). Moreover, the BALF pepsin concentrations correlated negatively with a lower esophageal sphincter pressure and distal esophageal amplitude; negatively with distal esophageal amplitude and positively with total esophageal acid time, longest reflux episode, and DeMeester score in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and negatively with the upright acid clearance time in those with IPF. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that patients with IPF after lung transplantation are at increased risk of aspiration and a greater frequency of acute rejection episodes, and that the risk factors for aspiration might be different among those with the most common end-stage lung diseases who have undergone lung transplantation. These results support the role of evaluating the BALF for markers of aspiration in assessing lung transplant patients as candidates for antireflux surgery.

Pulmonary immune changes early after laparoscopic antireflux surgery in lung transplant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND: The biologic mechanisms by which laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) might influence the inflammatory process leading to bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome are unknown. We hypothesized that LARS alters the pulmonary immune profile in lung transplant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. METHODS: In 8 lung transplant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, we quantified and compared the pulmonary leukocyte differential and the concentration of inflammatory mediators in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) 4 weeks before LARS, 4 weeks after LARS, and 12 months after lung transplantation. Freedom from bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (graded 1-3 according to the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines), forced expiratory volume in 1 second trends, and survival were also examined. RESULTS: At 4 weeks after LARS, the percentages of neutrophils and lymphocytes in the BALF were reduced (from 6.6% to 2.8%, P = 0.049, and from 10.4% to 2.4%, P = 0.163, respectively). The percentage of macrophages increased (from 74.8% to 94.6%, P = 0.077). Finally, the BALF concentration of myeloperoxide and interleukin-1ß tended to decrease (from 2109 to 1033 U/mg, P = 0.063, and from 4.1 to 0 pg/mg protein, P = 0.031, respectively), and the concentrations of interleukin-13 and interferon-γ tended to increase (from 7.6 to 30.4 pg/mg protein, P = 0.078 and from 0 to 159.5 pg/mg protein, P = 0.031, respectively). These trends were typically similar at 12 months after transplantation. At a mean follow-up of 19.7 months, the survival rate was 75% and the freedom from bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome was 75%. Overall, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second remained stable during the first year after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary study has demonstrated that LARS can restore the physiologic balance of pulmonary leukocyte populations and that the BALF concentration of pro-inflammatory mediators is altered early after LARS. These results suggest that LARS could modulate the pulmonary inflammatory milieu in lung transplant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

A review of the role of GERD-induced aspiration after lung transplantation.

The increased prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in lung transplantation patients has been established; however, many questions persist regarding the relationship of GERD to aspiration and its potential to induce pulmonary allograft failure. Moreover, the biological implications of aspiration in lung transplantation have yet to be fully elucidated. The goal of this review was to assess the relationship between GERD and aspiration, focusing on the role of these events in the development of allograft injury after lung transplantation.

Laparoscopic antireflux surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Although gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is highly prevalent in lung transplantation, the pathophysiology of GERD in these patients is unknown. We hypothesize that the pathophysiology of GERD after lung transplantation differs from that of a control population, and that the 30-d morbidity and mortality of laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) are equivalent in both populations. METHODS: We retrospectively compared the pathophysiology of GERD and the 30-d morbidity and mortality of 29 consecutive lung transplant patients with 23 consecutive patients without lung transplantation (control group), all of whom had LARS for GERD between November 2008 and May 2010. RESULTS: Both groups had a similar prevalence of endoscopic esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus , comparable manometric profiles, and similar prevalence of abnormal peristalsis. However, hiatal hernia was more common in controls than in lung transplant patients (57% versus 24%; P = 0.04). Lung transplant patients had a higher prevalence and severity of proximal GERD (65% versus 33%; P = 0.04). The 30-d morbidity and mortality following LARS were similar in both groups regardless of the higher surgical risk of lung transplants (median ASA class: 3 versus 2 for controls, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that despite similar manometric profiles, lung transplant patients are more prone to proximal reflux than the general population with GERD; the prevalence of endoscopic esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus is the same in both groups of patients; a hiatal hernia is uncommon after lung transplantation; and the morbidity and mortality of LARS are the same for lung transplant patients as the general population with GERD.

Paraesophageal Hernia Repair: How I Do It.

Although the results of a laparoscopic repair of a paraesophageal hernia are convincing and accepted, controversies still persist regarding indications for elective repair, the need for a concurrent fundoplication, the use of mesh, and the need for a Collis gastroplasty. This article is a description of our surgical approach to the patient with a paraesophageal hernia in need of a repair.

Clinical course of gastroesophageal reflux disease and impact of treatment in symptomatic young patients.

In symptomatic young patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, early identification of progressive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is critical to prevent long-term complications associated with hiatal hernia, increased esophageal acid and nonacid exposure, release of proinflammatory cytokines, and development of intestinal metaplasia, endoscopically visible Barrett's esophagus, and dysplasia leading to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Progression of GERD may occur in asymptomatic patients and in those under continuous acid-suppressive medication. The long-term side effects of proton-pump inhibitors, chemopreventive agents, and radiofrequency ablation are contentious. In patients with early-stage disease, when the lower esophageal sphincter function is still preserved and before endoscopically visible Barrett's esophagus develops, novel laparoscopic procedures, such as magnetic and electric sphincter augmentation, may have a greater role than conventional surgical therapy. A multidisciplinary approach to GERD by a dedicated team of gastroenterologists and surgeons might impact the patients' lifestyle, the therapeutic choices, and the course of the disease. Biological markers are needed to precisely assess the risk of disease progression and to tailor surveillance, ablation, and management.