A retrospective study to analyze symptomatology among h.pylori positive patients at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Infection with H. pylori infection is common. About two-thirds of the population in the world carry H pylori in their bodies. The infection was acquired in childhood and persists despite local and systemic immune response. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study done on 1000 patients at a tertiary health care hospital in Jammu, India, over a period of 04 years (March 2016 to March 2020). Written and informed consent regarding the purpose, procedures, and risks was obtained from all patients. Data were collected by conducting a personal interview and doing a complete physical examination of the participants of the study. All patients underwent basic investigations as per symptoms and comorbidities. UGIE was performed on all the study participants using a video gastroscope. Gross features of the upper GI tract were noted and biopsies were obtained from the stomach (antrum, body, and fundus), and the second part of the duodenum. One antral and one corpus biopsy sample each were used for the rapid urease test (RUT). Results: A total of 1000 patients underwent UGIE for a different set of complaints. The most common complaint in this study group was epigastric pain (43%) followed by dyspepsia (33.2%) and 80.23% and 78.61% of patients were positive for H pylori on RUT. On UGI endoscopy duodenal ulcer was seen in 430 patients and among them 85.34% were H pylori positive on RUT, the gastric ulcer was seen in 240 patients, and among them, 73.33% were H pylori positive. The most common comorbidity was hypertension in the study group and among these patients, 138(88.46%) were H pylori positive, 2nd common comorbidity was Diabetes mellitus and among them 133(91.86%) were H pylori positive. The overall prevalence of H pylori manifestation in the study group was seen in 78.5% of patients. Conclusion: Among all symptomatic patients enrolled in this study the most symptom was epigastric pain followed by dyspepsia and the most common comorbidities in the study group were HTN and Diabetes mellitus. A rapid urease test was performed on UGI endoscopic biopsy specimen for H pylori infestation and 78.5% of patients were found to be positive.