No abstract

EER contributes substantially to health-care expenditures. In this cohort, the cost for initial year's evaluation and treatment of EER symptoms was quintuple that of typical GERD. Prescription costs and, in particular, proton pump inhibitors were the single greatest contributor to the cost of EER management.

Rapid LFD for salivary pepsin has acceptable test characteristics in patients with GERD. A positive salivary pepsin test in this group may obviate the need for more expensive diagnostic testing by EGD or pH monitoring.

Both heartburn with or without regurgitation and esophageal pH < 4 more than 12% of a 24-hour period predicted postfundoplication resolution of the presenting extraesophageal reflux symptom.

No abstract