Objetive:

To evaluate diaphragmatic pressure during quiet normal inspiration in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) referred to the Digestive Motility and Neurogastroenterology Unit at Hospital de Clínicas Caracas from the Gastroenterology Department of the Hospital Universitario de Caracas and other centers between June 2018 and June 2024.

Methods:

A descriptive, analytical, ambispective, cross-sectional study was conducted. Normal diaphragmatic pressure during quiet inspiration was established as a reference value using a control group. The study included GERD patients undergoing esophageal function testing. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistix 7, applying central tendency measures and tests such as Chi- square, Student’s t-test, and Mann-Whitney.

Results:

The reference value for diaphragmatic pressure during quiet inspiration was 65 mmHg. Most GERD patients were female (54.9%) with a mean age of 49.13 years. Typical symptoms were reported in 88.23% of cases, and atypical symptoms in 25.49%. Manometric findings showed a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter (short: 1.14 ± 0.34 cm; weak: 8.45 ± 8.50 mmHg; or lacking intra-abdominal segment: -1.14 ± 2.04 cm). The mean distal contractile integral was 921.75 ± 1407.1. pH monitoring revealed predominantly upright acid reflux episodes, with some mixed and few supine episodes. Patients with higher diaphragmatic pressures than the reference value had more proximal reflux episodes.

Conclusion:

Higher diaphragmatic pressure during quiet normal inspiration is associated with an increased frequency of proximal reflux episodes in GERD patients.