title: Esophageal emergencies.
abstract: Esophageal disorders are commonly seen in the emergency department. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) should always be taken seriously and should never be considered a functional complaint, whereas odynophagia (painful swallowing) is usually caused by an inflammatory process. This article addresses dysphagia/odynophagia, as well as esophagitis, neoplasms, gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal trauma, and the often difficult differentiation of chest pain of esophageal origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Swann
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Munter
mesh_terms: D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004630:Emergencies; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000209:etiology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000293:injuries; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux; D006801:Humans