Examination characteristics and therapeutic approach on integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine for treatment of infants with gastric volvulus and gastroesophageal reflux-induced pneumonia / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the influences on prognoses and airway acid and base levels while using anti-inflammatory and anti-reflux therapies combined with "Hezhong Fuzheng massage" for treatment of infants with gastric volvulus (GV) and gastroesophageal reflux (GER)-induced pneumonia in order to provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment of such infant disease. Methods Sixty infants 1-6 months old admitted to the Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Wuhan Children's Hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 were diagnosed as pneumonia combined with GV and GER by the chest radiograph and radiography of upper gastrointestinal tract (UGT) with iodine, and according to difference in diagnostic methods, they were divided into an observation 1 group (30 cases) and an observation 2 group (30 cases). In observation 1 group, 24-hour pH value in upper digestive tract especially the distal esophagus was dynamically monitored, while in observation 2 group, 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance (MII) combined with pH monitoring of esophagus was carried out. Furthermore, two control groups were set up, each 30 cases; after radiography of the UGT with iodine, the control 1 group was diagnosed as GV and GER without pneumonia and control 2 group was diagnosed as only simple GV. Treatment of infant pneumonia was carried out in accordance with the guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia in children; the treatment of GV and GER included postural, dietary, prokinetic and Hezhong Fuzheng massage [acupoint selection and massage was undertaken in 5 steps: push from the palmar crease to Banmen (rectilinear pushing manipulation) 300 times, push abdominal Yin and Yang (finger-pushing massage) 200 times, palpate the abdomen (clockwise) 100 times, poking of Tianshu 100 times, poke alternately bilateral Zusanli 100 times. Once-daily massage, (15±2) minutes each time, for consecutive 7 days]. The results of pH monitoring of the distal esophagus in observation 1 group was recorded; All GER data concerning pH monitoring of observation 2 group and the results of esophagus multi-channel intra-luminal impedance combined with pH monitoring in control group were compared. After 7 days of continuous treatment, the clinical efficacy of pneumonia and GV, hospitalization time, prognosis and the changes of sputum pH before and after treatment in the two observation groups were compared. Results In two observation groups, the main type of 60 cases with GV was organoaxial volvulus, accounting for 91.67% (55 cases), and more than 60% patients exhibited sputum pH <7.0. The distal esophagus 24-hour pH dynamic monitoring in observation 1 group showed that there were 26 cases with acid reflux (86.67%), 4 cases with GER negative (13.33%), the proportion of pH < 4 in GER negative patients was significantly lower than that in moderate acid reflux patients [3.35% (0.77% - 8.08%) vs. 26.23% (15.19% - 42.87%), P < 0.05], the number of long reflux (> 5 minutes) in GER negative patients was significantly reduced than that in mild acid reflux patients [times 2 (0-5) vs. 7 (2-15), P < 0.05], the longest time of reflux in GER negative patients was significantly shorter than that in either mild or moderate acid reflux patients [minutes 5.9 (2.5-10.0) vs. 19.2 (5.9-51.0), 41.6 (16.9-121.0), both P < 0.05]. The 24-hour MII-pH monitoring of esophagus in observation 2 group showed that there were 30 cases with pathological reflux, mainly mild acid reflux accounting for 90%, in which the percentage of proximal reflux events was 46.07% in the total reflux events. The numbers of acid reflux and proximal reflux in the observation 2 group were significantly higher than those in the control 1 and 2 groups [1 305 (37.72%) vs. 795 (25.69%) and 136 (18.89%), 1 594 (46.07%) vs. 687 (22.20%) and 154 (21.39%), both P < 0.05]; there were no significant differences in total effective rate (100% vs. 100%, P > 0.05) and hospitalization time (days 7.58±1.09 vs. 7.67±1.12, P > 0.05) between the two observation groups. Conclusions For the diagnosis of infant pneumonia combined with GV and GER, the first selection of chest radiograph and radiography of the UGT with iodine can identify the severity of pneumonia, whether it is complicated with GV and its classification, and whether GER exists at the same time. The estimation of 24-hour pH dynamic monitoring of the acid reflux in the upper digestive tract especially the distal esophagus is consistent with that of the 24-hour MII-PH monitoring of esophagus. Moreover, 24-hour MII-PH monitoring of esophagus can also identify non-acid reflux, resulting in the GER diagnosis more accurate. Since the proximal reflux ratio of infants with GV combined with GER and pneumonia is relatively high and easy to cause cough and aspiration. attention should be paid on early diagnosis and timely intervention to such patients. The sputum acidity test can reflect the airway acid-base level and its manipulation is simple, so by that the real time disease situation can be estimated, and aspiration of sputum also can help the treatment. The therapeutic schedule formulated by our group can elevate the therapeutic effect, improve the airway acid-base environment and benefit prognosis.