New Italian Guidelines Streamline GERD Diagnosis and Management

Italian experts recommend a symptom-based strategy for diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), emphasizing the exclusion of alarm symptoms and non-GERD causes. For those with alarm features or unresponsive to standard treatments, more invasive tests like esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy are advised. Treatment protocols advocate a 4-8 week course of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for most patients, reserving higher doses for specific cases. These guidelines aim to enhance clinical efficacy and standardize care across practices.