Helicobacter pylori in Barbadian patients undergoing endoscopy - abstract

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Barbados was studied in 100 patients undergoing routine endoscopy. Biopsies were taken from within 3 cm of the gastric pylorus for culture, histology and rapid detection of urease in a buffered medium. Fifty-four patients gave a positive urease test, 50 were culture positive and 55 had histological appearance consistent with H. pylori. When compared to culture, the rapid urease test gave a sensitivity of 96 percent and a specificity of 92 percent; the positive predictive value was 92 percent and the negative predicitive value was 96 percent. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in the population studied increased with age, reaching a peak of 70 percent in the 60-79 age group. H. pylori was detected in 95 percent of patients with duodenal ulcers, 83 percent of those with type B. chronic gastritis, 57 percent of those with gastric ulcers and 66 percent of those with carcinoma of the stomach. We conclude that H. pylori infection is common in patients with chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcers in Barbados. We have demonstrated the value of a cheap, rapid direct urease test for the detection of H. pylori in gastric biopsies (AU)