OP‐15 FEATURES OF AEROPHAGIA MEASURED WITH MULTICHANNEL PH‐IMPEDANCE IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Introduction and Aim:Diagnosis of aerophagia is based on clinical symptoms and described in Rome III Criteria. The aim of this study was to estimate the normal and pathological values for air swallows measured with pH‐impedance in children.Material and methods:We analysed features of air swallowing in pH‐impedance for patients hospitalized in the Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2008–2014, with the clinical symptoms of aerophagia, who have met the Rome III Criteria. Children with pH‐impedance performed due to other gastrointestinal conditions (GORD, Abdominal pain, food allergy and asthma) and had normal studies comprised the control group. The exclusion criteria were: neurological, metabolic or genetic disorders, previous oesophageal surgery including fundoplication, connective tissue disorders and studies lasting less than 16 hours in durationAll studies were re analysed manually, meals were excluded from analysis. Total number of air swallows (in upright and recumbent position); mixed swallows, gastric belching and supragastric belching were counted. The results were presented as total number of episodes and as median number of episodes per hour.Results:Impedance recording of 10 patients (7 males) with clinical aerophagia and control group of10 children (7 males) were analysed. Mean age of patients was 10 years (4.5–13.5) and 7 years in control group (4.5–17 years). Mean (±SD) recording time for patients 21.3 hrs (±2.3) for control 21.2 hrs (±1.2). Total number of liquid reflux (mean ± SD) for patients 46.9 (±22.6), control 27.6 (±15.4) p = 0.028. The median of total air swallows per hour was 30.35 (IQR: 22.6 to 43.50) in patients with aerophagia and 7.33 (IQR: 5.43 to 9.9) in control group. There were significant differences in total number of air swallows, as well as in supragastric belches between the groups (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Both, air swallows and gastric belches were significantly more often observed in boys (median for boys 20.92 and 1.06; for girls 7.20 and 0.34; p = 0.02 and p = 0.006, respectively).Conclusions:pH‐impedance is an important diagnostic tool in the measurement of gas and fluid movement in the oesophagus. Hereby we showed suitability of pH‐impedance in the assessment of children with clinically diagnosed aerophagia.