AGA’s new Clinical Practice Update provides guidance for the diagnosis and management of extraesophageal gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The guidance and associated clinical decision support tool focus on conditions suspected to have potential relationships to acid reflux and provide best approaches to diagnosis, evaluation and therapy.
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Educate
Educate patients on the complexity of diagnosis and management of extraesophageal GERD to help set realistic expectations.
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Early testing
Early testing – consider reflux testing before a PPI trial for patients with only atypical symptoms or patients with typical symptoms who failed at least one initial PPI trial.
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Engage
Engage other specialists for a multidisciplinary approach.
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Explore
Explore alternative treatment methods to acid suppressive therapy. Surgical options should be reserved for patients with clear and objectively defined evidence of GERD.
Quick watch: Author Dr. Joan Chen shares her key takeaways.
Read the AGA Clinical Practice on the Diagnosis and Management of Extraesophageal Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Expert Review, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.