Difference of Esophageal Motility and Reflux Characteristics in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Chronic Cough (CC) and the Impact of Standardized Drug Therapy.

This study aimed to explore the difference between esophageal motility and reflux characteristics in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic cough (CC) and the effect of standardized drug therapy. Eighty-four patients diagnosed with GERD in The First People's Hospital of Hangzhou from December 2020 to December 2022 were enrolled in this study. They were divided into an observation group (Obs group, patients with GERD + CC, n = 26 cases) and a control group (control group, patients with typical GERD, n = 58 cases). Reflux symptom integral questionnaire, cough symptom integral questionnaire, high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM), and 24-hour esophageal pH/impedance monitoring were performed. The upper esophageal sphincter pressure at resting (UESP) and distal systolic score (DCI) in the Obs group were much lower. They exhibited differences with P < .05 than those in the control group. The total numbers of proximal reflux, proximal weak acid reflux, proximal non-acid reflux, weak acid reflux, and gas-liquid mixed reflux in the Obs group were more. They showed a difference with P < .05 than those in the control group. After a standard treatment, the reflux symptom score of patients with GERD + CC was greatly lower than those of patients with typical GERD (P < .05). Ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) was dominant in patients with GERD +CC. HRM and 24-hour pH/impedance monitoring can objectively evaluate the properties of esophageal motility and reflux, respectively, which had a guiding significance for individual patient treatment.