Proton Pump Inhibitors : concerns over prolonged use.

Proton pump inhibitors are amongst the most over prescribed drugs in clinical practice. These drugs were purported to have excellent safety profile. However in the recent past, certain adverse events have been reported which are of clinical significance. Although the linkage of adverse events with proton pump inhibitors appears to be biologically plausible, the clinical evidence for the linkage requires further confirmation. The current review discusses the available evidence regarding these adverse events.

Questionnaire based gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) assessment scales.

Questionnaire based assessment scales for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been utilized for assessment of the patient’s symptomatology, assessment of symptom severity and frequency, assessment of health-related quality of life and for assessment of response to treatment. A multitude of unidimensional and multidimensional questionnaires exist for making symptom assessment and monitoring quality of life in GERD. Many of the scales meet some of the parameters of an ideal evaluative GERD specific assessment instrument. Yet, there are certain shortcomings and challenges which are faced in development of GERD questionnaires. This review discusses the features of an ideal symptom assessment instrument, examines the strengths and weaknesses of currently available questionnaires.