RT Book, Section
A1 Rudolph, Colin D.
A2 Rudolph, Colin D.
A2 Rudolph, Abraham M.
A2 Lister, George E.
A2 First, Lewis R.
A2 Gershon, Anne A.
SR Print(0)
ID 7036204
T1 Chapter 394. Gastroesophageal Reflux and Other Causes of Esophageal Inflammation
T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22e
YR 2011
FD 2011
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-149723-7
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=7036204
RD 2024/04/19
AB Gastroesophageal  reflux  (GER)  is  the  spontaneous  passage  of  gastric  contents  into  the  esophagus.  It  is  a  normal  physiologic  process  that  occurs  throughout  the  day  in  healthy  infants,  children,  and  adults.  In  infants,  refluxed  material  often  is  expelled  from  the  mouth,  a  benign  process  known  as  “spitting-up,”  “spilling,”  or  “posseting.”  Gastroesophageal  reflux  disease  (GERD)  results  from  failure  of  the  normal  protective  mechanisms  that  prevent  damage  to  the  aerodigestive  tract  following  GER  and  is  purported  to  manifest  with  a  variety  of  symptoms  and  signs,  shown  in  Figure  394-1.  For  almost  all  of  these  symptoms  and  signs,  alternative  etiologies  must  be  considered  prior  to  concluding  that  GERD  is  causative.  This  is  particularly  true  in  the  infant  and  younger  child  because  it  is  difficult  to  differentiate  in  young  patients  between  GER  and  vomiting,  and  their  symptoms  are  nonspecific.