title: Multichannel intraesophageal impedance pattern of children with aerophagia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood aerophagia is defined by the Rome III criteria as two or more of the following symptoms; air swallowing, abdominal distension due to intraluminal air, or repetitive belching and/or flatus. The aim of this study was to determine the multichannel intraesophageal impedance (MII) pattern in children suffering from aerophagia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the MII tracings of five children with aerophagia according to Rome III criteria (three girls, median age 7 years) to five controls (three girls, median age 8 years). Controls underwent MII for symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux, and had normal findings. Liquid swallows (LS), air swallows (AS), mixed swallows (MS) and supragastric belching (SGB) were recorded. Meals were excluded from the analysis. All MII parameters were separately analyzed in the upright and recumbent position. All data are reported as median number of events per hour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in the total number of LS and MS between the two groups. However, the total number of AS in patients was significantly higher than in controls (26/h vs 5.5/h, p < 0.05) but only in the upright position (46/h vs 8.2 in control group, p < 0.05). SGB was noted only in patients with aerophagia (2.6/h vs 0/h, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children suffering from aerophagia have a specific MII pattern with an increased frequency of air swallows in the upright position and supragastric belching. MII may be used as a tool to confirm diagnosis of aerophagia in children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halb
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pomerleau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faure
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000334:Aerophagy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004884:Eructation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: aerophagia; children; intraesophageal impedance