Diagnostic Tests for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Diagnostic Tests
The list of diagnostic tests
mentioned in various sources as
used in the diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
includes:
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Tests: Book Excerpts
Home Diagnostic Testing
These home medical tests may be relevant to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:
- Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
- Digestive-Related Home Testing:
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Tests and diagnosis discussion for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:
If your heartburn does not improve with lifestyle changes or drugs, you
may need additional tests.
- A barium swallow radiograph uses x rays to help spot
abnormalities such as a hiatal hernia and severe inflammation of the
esophagus. With this test, you drink a solution and then x rays are
taken. Mild irritation will not appear on this test, although narrowing
of the esophagus--called strictures--ulcers, hiatal hernia, and other
problems will.
- Upper endoscopy is more accurate than a barium swallow
radiograph and may be performed in a hospital or a doctor's office. The
doctor will spray your throat to numb it and slide down a thin, flexible
plastic tube called an endoscope. A tiny camera in the endoscope allows
the doctor to see the surface of the esophagus and to search for
abnormalities. If you have had moderate to severe symptoms and this
procedure reveals injury to the esophagus, usually no other tests are
needed to confirm GERD.
The doctor may use tiny tweezers
(forceps) in the endoscope to remove a small piece of tissue for biopsy.
A biopsy viewed under a microscope can reveal damage caused by acid
reflux and rule out other problems if no infecting organisms or abnormal
growths are found.
- In an ambulatory pH monitoring examination, the doctor puts a
tiny tube into the esophagus that will stay there for 24 hours. While
you go about your normal activities, it measures the amount of and when
acid comes up into your esophagus. This test is useful in people with
GERD symptoms but no esophageal damage. The procedure is also helpful in
detecting whether respiratory symptoms, including wheezing and coughing,
are triggered by reflux.
(Source: excerpt from
Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): NIDDK)
Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: medical news summaries:
The following medical news items
are relevant to diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:
Diagnostic Tests for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the diagnostic tests for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
SORE THROAT:
DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
(Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)
In a sore throat with typical exudates very suggestive of streptococcal pharyngitis, a throat culture may be all one needs before starting definitive antibiotic therapy. In the more difficult cases, screening for streptococcal antigens (streptozyme test and ASO titer) might be indicated. An ASO titer is particularly important when one suspects rheumatic fever. If the patient's streptococcal sore throat persists, a Monospot test and a culture for gonorrhea should be done. Although there are hardly any false-negative Monospot tests, there are 10% false positives, and that should be kept in mind. A blood smear for atypical lymphocytes may be helpful, as well as a heterophile antibody titer in those cases.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs, 2003
Dyspepsia:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If the patient complains of dyspepsia, begin by asking him to describe it in detail. How often and when does it occur, specifically in relation to meals? Do drugs or activities relieve or aggravate it? Has he had nausea, vomiting, melena, hematemesis, a cough, or chest pain? Ask if he's taking prescription drugs and if he has recently had surgery. Does he have a history of renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease? Has he noticed a change in the amount or color of his urine?
Ask the patient if he's experiencing an unusual or overwhelming amount of emotional stress. Determine the patient's coping mechanisms and their effectiveness.
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Ask about behavior changes, and evaluate the patient's level of consciousness. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of the lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Dyspepsia:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If the patient complains of dyspepsia, begin by asking him to describe it in detail. How often and when does it occur, specifically in relation to meals? Do any drugs or activities relieve or aggravate it? Has the patient had nausea, vomiting, melena, hematemesis, cough, or chest pain? Ask if he’s taking any prescription drugs and if he has recently had surgery. Does he have a history of renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease? Has he noticed any change in the amount or color of his urine?
Ask the patient if he’s experiencing an unusual or overwhelming amount of emotional stress. Determine the patient’s coping mechanisms and their effectiveness.
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect it for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate it for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting any tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Ask about behavior changes, and evaluate level of consciousness. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Sore Throat:
Diagnostic Approach
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
The most important consideration is whether the patient has a group A strep infection because prompt treatment prevents rheumatic fever. The findings of fever, tender anterior cervical adenopathy, and tonsillar exudate can be combined to make the diagnosis more or less likely. Rapid antigen tests have a sensitivity of 80% to 90% and specificity of 95% to 100%, so give a reasonably accurate diagnosis. Because of limitations in sensitivity however, patients with a high suspicion on clinical grounds should have a backup culture taken.
Prior probability in an adult population with sore throat is 5% to 10%, and in a pediatric population 20% to 25%. A prominent sore throat out of proportion to the degree of pharyngeal inflammation should raise the possibility of acute epiglottitis and acutely impending airway compromise. Persistent unilateral tonsillar enlargement in a young adult without sore throat should raise the suspicion of lymphoma.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007
Dyspepsia:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting any tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Sore Throat:
Diagnostic Approach
(The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics)
Historyand physical exam provide important clues for proper diagnosis ofsore throat.Most common clinical dilemma in childwith pharyngitis is whether pathogen is virus or group A Streptococcus.Tests to detect streptococcal antigen may be diagnostic, but ifresults of such tests are negative, throat culture should be performed.Because many cases of pharyngitis aredue to viruses, antibiotic use should be guided by antigen detectiontests or culture. Presence of conjunctivitis, cough, rhinitis, andhoarseness suggests viral etiology. Infectious mononucleosis isalso a consideration, especially in older children and adolescents.Neck radiography, flexible laryngoscopy,and CT are useful with suspected foreign body or retropharyngeal/lateralpharyngeal abscess.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics, 2006
Dyspepsia:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If the patient complains of dyspepsia, begin by asking him to describe it in detail. How often and when does it occur, specifically in relation to meals? Do drugs or activities relieve or aggravate it? Has he had nausea, vomiting, melena, hematemesis, a cough, or chest pain? Ask if he's taking prescription drugs and if he has recently had surgery. Does he have a history of renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease? Has he noticed a change in the amount or color of his urine?
Ask the patient if he's experiencing an unusual or overwhelming amount of emotional stress. Determine the patient's coping mechanisms and their effectiveness.
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Ask about behavior changes, and evaluate the patient's level of consciousness. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of the lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
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