GERD

Gastrointestinal/Nutrition · ~8% of blueprint

Pathophysiology: Incompetent lower esophageal sphincter → retrograde acid reflux → esophageal mucosal injury.
Signs & Symptoms: Heartburn (worse lying down/after meals), regurgitation, dysphagia; chronic cough/hoarseness.
Gold Standard Diagnosis: Clinical; EGD for alarm features; 24-hour pH monitoring is the gold standard for diagnosis.
First-line Treatment: Lifestyle changes + PPI (first-line); H2 blockers for milder disease.

High-Yield Pearl

Alarm features (dysphagia, weight loss, bleeding, anemia) → endoscopy to exclude Barrett’s/cancer.

More Gastrointestinal/Nutrition conditions