Résumé
In the last two decades gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), initially thought to be a disease only common in the West, is described increasingly in Asia, including the Philippines. A recent local report indicated that the prevalence of erosive esophagitis (EE), a common complication of GERD, has more than doubled, i.e., 2.9% to 6.3%, between the two time periods of 1994-1997 and 2000-2003, respectively. GERD causes recurrent annoying symptoms which are common reasons for clinic visits and consultations thus, it is the objective of these guidelines to provide both primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists a current, evidence-based, country-specific recommendations for the optimal management of GERD. These guidelines are intended to empower PCPs to make a clinic-based diagnosis of GERD, to start an empiric acid-suppressive therapy in the appropriate patient,and direct them to select which GERD patient may need to undergo investigations to ascertain further the diagnosis of GERD or to assess outcomes of therapy. We acknowledge that studies published in the future may influence the impact on our confidence on the recommendations enumerated in these guidelines thus, we commit to update this document when it is deemed appropriate.