title: Do young dyspeptic patients consider upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy useful?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Carefully planned strategies for selecting patients to upper gastro-intestinal (GI) endoscopy may reduce the number of procedures. However, the impact of the examination and the potential value of being reassured by a negative endoscopy has yet to be evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  280 young dyspeptic patients were classified to have either peptic ulcer disease, non ulcer dyspepsia (NUD), gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) with or without erosive esophagitis after upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy. At one year follow-up, the patients evaluated their symptoms and were asked what they considered the main reason for improvement, if any, when given six alternatives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  242 returned the one year follow-up questionnaire. 82% of the peptic ulcer group reported symptom improvement and the eradication therapy as the main reason for it. In the NUD group 63% had improved, weighting change in life-style and diet as the main reasons. Only 16% reported the reassurance by a negative endoscopy as important for improvement. The two GERD groups scored similar and recorded acid reducing medication as the far most important reason for improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young dyspeptic patients, patients with peptic ulcer disease seems to be the only group where endoscopy has significant value for choosing the optimal therapeutic option. Neither the reassurance by a negative endoscopy in the NUD group nor the detection of esophagitis in patients with GERD is of importance to subjective improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Harstad, 9480 Harstad, Norway. per.christian.valle@unn.no
authors.forename: Per C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: Ragnar K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Breckan
authors.forename: Odd
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kildahl-Andersen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult