Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is frequent or severe heartburn caused by backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus. Symptoms may be severe enough to impact daily life as well as cause damage to the esophagus. Proper diagnosis is imperative for correct management. Usual diagnosis includes careful medical history, response to antacids, barium swallow, and endoscopy with biopsy. Esophageal pH testing measures the frequency, amount, and degree of acid in the lower esophagus. Information obtained from the pH testing helps with the diagnosis and management of the difficult to treat patients with GERD symptoms. This includes patients that present with atypical reflux symptoms such as chest pain, have previosly undergone anti-reflux surgery, and patients have unsatisfactory response to standard treatments.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from sgna's 36th annual course, SGNA: your gateway to opportunity. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. in keeping with the tradition of the annual course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.