An Aspect of Upper Gastrointestinal Disease among Young Policemen

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal diseases are relatively important in Korea. There are various studies on upper gastrointestinal diseases, especially relationships with Helicobacter pylori, but studies on young adults are relatively fewer. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to know the prevalence of various upper gastrointestinal diseases and the association with Helicobacter pylori among young policemen. METHODS: Diagnosis and classification of upper gastrointestinal diseases were made 260 policemen, who visited the outpatient department of family medicine at one general hospital in Seoul from March 2, 2001 to December 31, 2002. RESULTS: The frequencies of upper gastrointestinal diseases were gastritis (62.2%), duodenal ulcer (14.4%), gastric ulcer (7.5%), duodenitis (6.9%), and no active lesion (9.0%). The frequency of multiple upper gastrointestinal disease was chronic superficial gastritis and duodenal ulcer (37%), chronic superficial gastritis and duodenitis (21.9%), and acute gastritis and duodenal ulcer (16.4%), and these groups comprised the most with 75.3%. The location of the lesion was found at antrum (62.2%) and duodenum (21.6%). Ulcer stages in gastric and duodenal ulcer were mostly in active stage. Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric and duodenal ulcer were 36% and 85.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most symptomatic patients had lesions which were found at antrum and duodenum as in other studies. Ulcer diseases in duodenum were much more frequent than those in stomach, which probably be associated with Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, suitable examination and treatment are necessary.

The Causes and Symptoms of Chest Pain among Young Policemen

BACKGROUND: Chest pain is a problem that primary care physicians commonly face and often unnecessary work-up is done because of its clinical importance of cardiac origin. There are various studies on the causative disorders of chest pain, but studies on young adult males are relatively few. Therefore, we conducted this study on the cause of chest pain among young policemen. METHODS: Diagnosis and classification of chest pain were made among 106 policemen who visited the outpatient department of family medicine at the National Police Hospital from March 1, 2002 to June 30, 2002. RESULTS: The causes of chest pain were musculoskeletal (55%), psychogenic (17%), others (15%), gastrointestinal (7%) and respiratory (6%), but none of them were cardiovascular origin. The nature of chest pain were stabbing (41%), sharp (22%), pressing (18%), squeezing (16%) and substernal discomfort (3%). The duration of chest pain were below 10 minutes (37%), 10 minutes to 1 hour (15%), several hours (20%) and several days (28%). The location of chest pain were left chest (61%), right chest (18%), precordial (7%), epigastric (6%), substernal (4%) and others (4%). The frequencies of chest pain were more than once a day (23%), once a week (26%), once a month (11%), once more than 1 month interval (17%) and first attack (23%). The aggravating factors of chest pain were physical strain (25%), coughing (22%), psychologic stress (16%), smoking (10%), weather change (8%), drinking (7%), resting (5%), and overeating (6%). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that unnecessary tests should be avoided and adequate treatment matched to their causes through exact and detailed history taking should be done, because the causes of chest pain among young policemen are mostly non-cardiovascular origin.