Gastroesophageal reflux and chronic respiratory disease: past, present, and future.

Introduction A very interesting case-control study published in this issue of Jornal de Pediatria concludes that nasopharyngeal pH is significantly lower in patients with respiratory symptoms and abnormal pH-metry in comparison to those children presenting with gastroenterological symptoms. Children with respiratory symptoms and abnormal pH-metry have a more acid nasopharynx than the patients in the control group. Measurement of the nasopharyngeal pH can be considered a reliable test to indicate the likelihood of obtaining an abnormal esophageal pH-metry in patientswith chronic respiratory disease.