Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease
Doctor Instruction:
You are a Foundation Year 1 Doctor working in the Emergency Department. Your next patient is a 42-year-old woman (Anne) presenting with abdominal pain. Please take a history and perform an appropriate examination.
Patient History:
Anne, a 42-year-old retired hairdresser.
This morning at around 3am, you woke up from having tummy pain. Described as a sharp/burning sensation that started at the bottom chest centrally and radiated up to the neck. It is intermittent and lasts for a few seconds. Pain score: 5/10. You are known to have angina, and so you took a GTN spray, but it didn't help. You feel a bit nauseous but no vomiting; you had some retching (and a bad taste in the back of the throat). Pain tends to be worsened or triggered when you try to go back to bed and lay flat.
If asked specifically, you remember having quite a big family meal when your friend came to visit the night before.
No weight loss. No tiredness. No erosion in teeth. No bad-smelling mouth. No lump in the throat. No bloating. No nocturnal cough. No hoarse voice. Bowels working normally with no bloody stool. No breathing difficulty. No dysphagia. No LOC. No dizziness. No palpitation. No obvious chest pain.
Ideas, Concerns, Expectations:
You are not sure what is going on. You are worried that you had a heart attack and may die because of this since it is quite close to the chest. You want to be seen by a cardiologist and have some medications to help prevent having this pain again. You want to live!
Past Medical History:
Hypertension
Stable angina - well-controlled
Obesity
Chronic Lower Back Pain
Drug History:
Amlodipine, GTN spray PRN, Atovastatin, ibuprofen
NKDA
Family History:
Type 2 DM (Dad, age 44)
Colon Cancer (Dad, age 65)
Social History:
Smoker – 10 cigarettes/day for 20 + years
Drink a small glass of gin and tonic every night
Hairdresser
Drink 2 cups of coffee a day.
Examination Findings:
The patient is alert + comfortable at rest, with no signs of breathing difficulties.
No clinical signs of anaemia.
Some mild discomfort palpating the epigastric region.
Abdominal examination is otherwise normal.
PR exam is normal - no melena or blood in the stool.
Differentials:
GORD
Gastritis
Peptic ulcer
Hiatus Hernia
Oesophagitis / Oesophageal spasm
To rule out cardiovascular causes: Stable Angina / ACS / AAA
Investigations:
Bedside:
Observations
ECG – rule out cardiac cause
Bloods:
FBC, CRP, U&Es, LFTs, Bone Profile, Troponin (if suspecting cardiac cause)
Imaging:
CXR/AXR (?Hiatus hernia)
Special Tests:
Consider serology/ urea breath test/ stool antigen, rapid urease test (H-pylori testing - ensure not taken PPI 2 weeks prior to testing)
Barium swallow - assess dynamics, assess motility disorder, assess for hiatus hernia
Oesophageal pH monitoring / Manometry - Assess for motility & regurgitative Disorders
Consider OGD (Savary-Miller grading/ Los Angeles Classification) - allows direct visualisation and biopsy for histology.
Data Interpretation:
Patient Details: Alexander Great
Age: 42
Date of Request: 18/04/2023
Value
Reference Range
Hb
125 g/L
115 - 165 g/L
White Cell Count
7.5 x10^9/L
3.6 - 11.0 x10^9/L
Platelets
257 x10^9/L
140 - 400 x10^9/L
Haematocrit
0.47 x10^12/L
0.40 - 0.54 x10^12/L
MCV
94 fL
80 - 100 fL
Neutrophils
3.7 x10^9/L
1 - 7.5 x10^9/L
Monocytes
0.7 x10^9/L
0.2 - 0.8 x10^9/L
Lymphocytes
3 x10^9/L
1 - 4 x10^9/L
Basophils
0.03 x10^9/L
0.02 - 0.1
Eosinophils
0.1
0.1 - 0.4
H. Pylori Stool Antigen Test
Negative
Interpretation of Blood Results:
ree
Interpretation of OGD Image:
Management (GORD):
Conservative:
Lifestyle changes: stop smoking, weight loss, reduce alcohol intake, sleep more upright, small + regular meals, avoid eating big meals/ alcohol/ hot drinks before bed, avoid triggering diet e.g. spicy food, citrus, chocolate, caffeine, carbonated drinks, alcohol, manage stress level
Review medications that can cause reflux, e.g. NSAID, steroids, bisphosphonates, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, alpha/beta agonists, theophylline, anticholinergics
Antacids e.g. Gaviscon
PPI e.g. omeprazole
H2 antagonist e.g. Ranitidine
Patient Education
Safety netting for uncontrolled and red flag symptoms e.g. ACS
Medical:
Eradication therapy if tested positive for H. Pylori (PPI plus 2 antibiotics e.g. amoxicillin and clarithromycin) for 7 days.
Surgical:
Surgery for reflux e.g. fundoplication, magnetic sphincter augmentation.
Viva questions:
What are the complications of untreated acid reflux?
Esophagitis: Inflammation and pain in the esophagus.
Barrett's Esophagus: Increased risk of esophageal cancer.
Strictures: Narrowing of the esophagus.
Esophageal Ulcers: Painful sores in the esophagus.
Respiratory Issues: Coughing, wheezing, and asthma exacerbation.
Dental Problems: Tooth enamel erosion and oral health issues.
Chronic Cough: Persistent cough unrelated to respiratory problems.
Laryngitis/Voice Changes: Hoarseness and vocal cord inflammation.
Asthma Aggravation: Worsening of asthma symptoms.
Difficulty Swallowing: Dysphagia due to esophageal changes.
Esophageal Cancer: Increased cancer risk over time.
What are the complications of long-term management with omeprazole?
Electrolyte disturbance e.g. magnesium
Low bone mineral density - interference in gastric pH which can alter calcium absorption
What is Barrett's Oesophagus?
Barrett's esophagus develops due to chronic acid reflux (GERD). Acid irritates the esophagus, prompting the lining to transform into a type more resistant to acid, called columnar cells. This change is known as metaplasia, resulting in Barrett's epithelium. This condition increases the risk of esophageal cancer, making regular monitoring crucial.
What are the red flag symptoms or signs for urgent OGD?
Haematemesis or melena
Dysphagia
Unintentional weight loss
Treatment-resistant
Early satiety
Recurrent vomitting