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Restech’s
Airway Reflux Detection System Passes Childproof Test in
Pediatric Study
VENTURA, CA -- Aug 28, 2006 -- An innovative device for detecting
gastric reflux in the
airway was put to the test as Chris Landon, M.D., Chief of Pediatrics
at Ventura County Medical
Center, conducted a clinical study to test the efficacy of Restech’s
Dx–pH Measurement
System™ on infants and children.The study features six patients,
five of whom range in age from three months to nine years old,
and the sixth, a 20-year-old with severe muscular dystrophy. Each
patient was experiencing pulmonary manifestations of gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD) including: Sleep apnea, asthma, hoarseness
of the throat, pulmonary fibrosis and chronic cough, among others.
GER occurs when acid from the stomach flows up through the lower
esophageal sphincter (LES) and into the esophagus. Reflux that
escapes the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) into the oropharynx
is deemed laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).
In the pediatric population, LPR has been implicated in
the development of asthma, sinusitis, otitis media and sudden infant
death syndrome. The absence
of a device that can accurately detect reflux in the airway inspired
Restech to develop the Dx–pH
Measurement System.
“What’s exciting about this [Dx–pH Measurement System]
device is that it is the first to measure
and record pH in the oropharynx, and its positioning is ideal for
detecting LPR in real-time,”
asserts Dr. Landon.
Each patient was objectively assessed; depending upon symptoms
and conditions, they were
administered either a 24 or 48 hour test. The miniature 1.5mm diameter
Dx–pH Probe™ was
visually guided by a light emitting diode (LED) to a comfortable
location in the airway posterior
to the uvula. Thanks to a streamlined placement process, the children
tolerated the test with
minimal discomfort, a crucial refinement from conventional pH measurement
catheters.
The youngest patient in the study, at three months, unknowingly
became Restech’s poster child
by displaying the most definitive results and proving an explicit
need for the test. The child was
admitted with cystic fibrosis, cough symptoms and posed a failure
to thrive in his current state.
An upper gastrointestinal (UGI) evaluation revealed no signs of
GERD or anatomic obstruction,
at which time Dr. Landon administered the Dx–System test
for 24 hours.
While the infant tolerated the test exceptionally well, the results
showed dramatic reflux events
with dangerously low (acidic) pH levels. Dr. Landon recommended
fundoplication surgery, the standard procedure for treating patients
with severe GERD. After a post-surgery Dx–System test, the
infant’s pH levels appeared healthy and consistent. The
results revealed that the Dx–System
test led to differential diagnosis of symptoms missed by the initial
UGI.
Dr. Landon concluded, “The Restech Dx–pH Measurement
System is an advanced ambulatory
monitoring tool that fills a distinct void in the diagnosis of
acid reflux.”
Restech is a leader in engineering world-class medical technologies
that provide comfortable,
reliable solutions to assist physicians in the diagnosis of reflux
related health problems. For more
information on the Dx-pH Measurement System, call Debra Krahel
or Wal Flicker at (800) 352-
1512 or visit http://www.restech-corp.com. |
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