TY - JOUR T1 - Gastroscopic findings in COPD patients JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P535 AU - Abdalla Khoury AU - Adnan Koreid AU - Shoukri Moubaeid AU - Bashir Moubaeid Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P535.abstract N2 - Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of GERD symptoms and esophagitis in COPD patients and their effect on the number of exacerbations of COPD.Materials and Methods: This study included 106 COPD patients 55of them(51.88) with moderate COPD and31of them (29.24)with severe COPD and20of them (18.86)with very severe COPD(Gold2009),97were males(91.50) and9were females(8.49). All groups were subjected to history taking, full clinical examination, full laboratory investigations radiography, and spirometry.Upper GI endoscopy was done in47 (44.33)patients only:25of them (53.19)with moderateCOPD and15of them(31.91) with severe COPD and7of them (14.89)with very severe COPD.Results: Revealed that the prevalence of GERD symptoms in COPD patients was 45.5% in the moderate group,54.8% in the severe group and 57.9% in the very severe group (total=52.73%), and prevalence of esophagitis in COPD patients by endoscopy was 32% in the moderate group, 26.7% in the severe group and 42.9% in the very severe group (total=33.86%).GERD symptoms and esophagitis increase with increase in the smoking (pack/year) both in moderate & in the severe groups.Moreover, there were increase in the frequency of exacerbations of COPD in positive GERD symptoms patients both in moderate & in the severe groups. Presence of esophagitis increases the frequency of emergency visits andHospitalization of COPD patients.Discussion: GERD is common in COPD patients being more among severe group,also GERD increases the number of exacerbations. ER -