Prevalence and Incidence of Reflux
Reflux Prevalence: Book Excerpts
Prevalence/Incidence of Reflux: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the prevalence and/or incidence of Reflux.
Gastroesophageal reflux:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The function of the LES — a high-pressure area in the lower esophagus, just above the stomach — is to prevent gastric contents from backing up into the esophagus. Normally, the LES creates pressure, closing the lower end of the esophagus, but relaxes after each swallow to allow food into the stomach. Reflux occurs when LES pressure is deficient or when pressure within the stomach exceeds LES pressure. (See Influences on LES pressure, page 690.)
Studies have shown that a patient with symptom-producing reflux can’t swallow often enough to create sufficient peristaltic amplitude to clear gastric acid from the lower esophagus. This results in prolonged periods of acidity in the esophagus when reflux occurs.
Predisposing factors include:
❑ pyloric surgery (alteration or removal of the pylorus), which allows reflux of bile or pancreatic juice
❑ long-term nasogastric (NG) intubation (more than 4 days)
❑ any agent that lowers LES pressure, such as food, alcohol, cigarettes; anticholinergics (atropine, belladonna, and propantheline); or other drugs (morphine, diazepam, calcium channel blockers, and meperidine)
❑ hiatal hernia with an incompetent sphincter
❑ any condition or position that increases intra-abdominal pressure, such as straining, bending, coughing, pregnancy, obesity, and recurrent or persistent vomiting.
About 25% to 40% of Americans experience symptomatic GERD at some point in their lives, while 7% to 10% of Americans experience symptoms on a daily basis. True incidence figures may be even higher because many people with GERD take over-the-counter remedies without reporting their symptoms.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Vesicoureteral reflux:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
In patients with vesicoureteral reflux, incompetence of the ureterovesical junction and shortening of intravesical ureteral musculature allow backflow of urine into the ureter when the bladder contracts during voiding. Incompetence may result from congenital anomalies of the ureters or bladder, including short or absent intravesical ureter, ureteral ectopia lateralis (greater-than-normal lateral placement of ureters), and gaping ureteral orifice; inadequate detrusor muscle buttress in the bladder, stemming from congenital paraureteral bladder diverticulum; acquired diverticulum (from outlet obstruction); flaccid neurogenic bladder; and high intravesical pressure from outlet obstruction or an unknown cause. Vesicoureteral reflux may also result from cystitis, with inflammation of the intravesical ureter, which causes edema and fixation of the intramural ureter and usually leads to reflux in persons with congenital ureteral or bladder anomalies or other predisposing conditions.
Reflux nephropathy occurs in about 4 out of 1,000 asymptomatic people. However, in infants and children who experience UTIs, its prevalence approaches 40% to 50%. Reflux nephropathy may lead to chronic renal failure and end-stage renal disease.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
About prevalence and incidence statistics:
The term 'prevalence' of Reflux usually refers to the estimated population
of people who are managing Reflux at any given time.
The term 'incidence' of Reflux refers to the annual diagnosis rate,
or the number of new cases of Reflux diagnosed each year.
Hence, these two statistics types can differ:
a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence,
but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence.
For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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