Upper esophageal sphincter and gastroesophageal junction pressure changes act to prevent gastroesophageal and esophagopharyngeal reflux during apneic episodes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is thought to be induced by decreasing intraesophageal pressure during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, pressure changes in the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) pressure during OSA events have not been measured. The aim of this study was to determine UES and GEJ pressure change during OSA and characterize the GER and esophagopharyngeal reflux (EPR) events during sleep.

Terminating motor events for TLESR are influenced by the presence and distribution of refluxate.

Transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR) is frequently associated with reflux events and terminates with a primary or secondary peristaltic wave. However, it is unclear whether the presence and properties of the refluxate affect TLESR-termination events. The aims of this study were to determine the pattern of terminating esophageal motor activity after TLESR in healthy subjects and factors affecting the type of terminating motor event.

External validation of medicare claims for breast cancer chemotherapy compared with medical chart reviews.

Background: Although Medicare claims data have been increasingly used to examine the patterns and outcomes of cancer chemotherapy, their external validity has not been well studied.

Objectives: We sought to validate Medicare claims for chemotherapy compared with medical chart reviews.

Patients And Methods: We completed medical chart reviews for 1228 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at age 65 and older between 1993 and 1999 in New Mexico that were linked with Medicare claims data, achieving an estimated sensitivity of more than 90% and a 0.

Information on chemotherapy and hormone therapy from tumor registry had moderate agreement with chart reviews.

Background: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registries provide accurate information on cancer surgery and radiation, but the validity of registry data on chemotherapy and hormone therapy for breast cancer has not been well studied. We validated the registry data for chemotherapy and hormone therapy against an independent medical chart review.

Methods: We identified 1,228 women diagnosed with breast cancer at age > or = 65 in 1993-1999 in the New Mexico SEER Tumor Registry and completed medical chart reviews.

Autonomic dysfunction, vasomotor rhinitis, and extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux.

Objective: Several recent reports suggest there may be a relationship between chronic rhinitis and extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux (EER). It is hypothesized that this relationship is a result of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction.

Study Design: Patients with isolated vasomotor rhinitis (VR), both VR and EER, and a control group were studied by a battery of tests designed to objectively evaluate ANS function.