Upper Endoscopy Overused in Patients With Heartburn

Upper endoscopy procedure commonly used to diagnose and manage gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is often overused by physicians, finds study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

"The evidence indicates that upper endoscopy is indicated in patients with heartburn only when accompanied by other serious symptoms such as difficult or painful swallowing, bleeding, anemia, weight loss, or recurrent vomiting," said David L. Bronson, MD, FACP, president, ACP. "The procedure is not an appropriate first step for most patients with heartburn."

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
This condition occurs due to the reflux of hydrochloric acid of the stomach into the oesophagus

ACP advises that screening with upper endoscopy should not be routinely performed in women of any age or in men under the age of 50 with heartburn because the incidence of cancer is very low in these populations.

Upper endoscopy is indicated in patients with heartburn who are unresponsive to medicine (proton pump inhibitors) to reduce gastric acid production for a period of four to eight weeks or who have a history of narrowing or tightening of the esophagus with recurrent difficult or painful swallowing.

Screening with upper endoscopy may be indicated in men over 50 with multiple risk factors for Barrett's esophagus, which include heartburn for more than five years, nocturnal reflux symptoms, hiatal hernia, elevated body mass index, tobacco use, and fat within the abdominal cavity. If an initial screening exam is negative for Barrett's esophagus or esophageal cancer, recurrent periodic upper endoscopy is not indicated.

Heartburn - Symptom Evaluation
Heartburn is a symptom that occurs due to irritation of the food pipe either due to acid reflux or direct contact with spicy and irritant foods.

Among patients found to have Barrett's esophagus, upper endoscopy is indicated every three to five years. More frequent endoscopic examinations are reserved for patients with low- or high-grade dysplasia because of the higher risk of progression to cancer.

Physicians should utilize education strategies to inform patients about current and effective standards of care. Medicine to reduce gastric acid production is warranted in most patients with typical GERD symptoms such as heartburn or regurgitation.

Endoscopy Simulators for Training and Skill Assessment
The use of endoscopy simulators for training and assessing skills is addressed by the ASGE's new initiative.

"Inappropriate use of upper endoscopy does not improve the health of patients, exposes them to preventable harms, may lead to additional unnecessary interventions, and results in unnecessary costs with no benefit," said Dr. Bronson.

Factors that contribute to overuse of upper endoscopy include differing recommendations from professional medical organizations, medico-legal liability concerns, and patient and caregiver expectations.

European Society Will Soon Issue New Guidelines for Colon Capsule Endoscopy
The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) will soon issue a new set of guidelines on clinical utility and selection process of patients for colon capsule endoscopy (PillCam COLON 2).

Unnecessary costs include the procedure itself (excess of $800 per exam) when it is not indicated and downstream costs of unnecessary follow up tests because of an original misdiagnosis.

"Upper Endoscopy for Gastroesophageal Reflux: Best Practice Advice from the American College of Physicians" and a corresponding patient summary appear in the December 4 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, published by ACP.

Source-Eurekalert