Guidance
This guideline covers investigating and managing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and dyspepsia in people aged 18 and over. It aims to improve the treatment of GORD and dyspepsia by making detailed recommendations on Helicobacter pylori eradication, and specifying when to consider laparoscopic fundoplication and referral to specialist services.
Last reviewed: 18 October 2019
Changes have been made to recommendations in the sections on first-line and second-line treatments to reflect new restrictions and precautions for the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. These recommendations are labelled [new 2014, amended 2019]. For more information, see update information.
This guideline updates and replaces NICE guideline CG17 (August 2004).
Next review: This guideline will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.
Recommendations
This guideline includes recommendations on:
- referral for endoscopy
- interventions for uninvestigated dyspepsia, GORD, peptic ulcer disease and functional dyspepsia
- Helicobacter pylori testing and eradication
- laparoscopic fundoplication
- referral to specialist services
- surveillance for people with Barrett’s oesophagus
Who is it for?
- Healthcare professionals
- Commissioners and providers
- Adults with GORD or dyspepsia and their families
Guideline development process
How we develop NICE guidelines
This guideline was previously called dyspepsia and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: investigation and management of dyspepsia, symptoms suggestive of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, or both.
Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.