Korean J Helicobacter Up Gastrointest Res.  2014 Jun;14(2):91-94. 10.7704/kjhugr.2014.14.2.91.

Physicians' Opinion on Asymptomatic Reflux Esophagitis and Short Segment Barrett's Esophagus

• Kim JH
• Lee JH
• Lee DH

• KMID: 2249456
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7704/kjhugr.2014.14.2.91

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
There are controversies on the management of asymptomatic reflux esophagitis and short-segment Barrett's esophagus in Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From October 2012 to February 2013, an iPAD app-based survey for 10 questions about asymptomatic reflux esophagitis and short segment Barrett's esophagus was performed. A total of 585 physicians, most of them primary care physicians, answered the survey.
RESULTS
For asymptomatic individuals with LA group A reflux esophagitis, physicians recommend non-pharmacologic treatment in 46.2%, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in 33.8%, and histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) in 17.3%. For asymptomatic individuals with LA group B reflux esophagitis, physicians recommend PPI in 51.5%, non-pharmacologic treatment in 27.0%, and H2RA in 20.6%. The proportion of non-pharmacologic treatment in LA group A and B was statistically significant (P<0.01). For endoscopically suspected columnar metaplasia less than 1 cm, 50.4% of respondents answered that they would take biopsies. For patients with histologically confirmed Barrett's esophagus, 83.7 percent of respondents answered that they would prescribe PPI or H2RA, but the duration of anti-acid treatment was mostly for a couple of months only.
CONCLUSIONS
There is great discrepancy on the management of asymptomatic reflux esophagitis and short segment Barrett's esophagus in Korea.

Keyword

Gastrointestinal reflux disease; Barrett's esophagus

MeSH Terms

Barrett Esophagus*
Biopsy
Surveys and Questionnaires
Esophagitis, Peptic*
Humans
Korea
Metaplasia
Physicians, Primary Care
Proton Pumps
Proton Pumps