Helicobacter pylori Testing as a Screening Mechanism for Peptic Ulcer Disease [ READ ]
Zachary J. Degner, Josée P. Proulx
Helicobacter pylori testing is not a suitable screening mechanism for peptic ulcer disease (PUD). A literature review was conducted to find studies that either showed association between H. pylori infection and PUD or proved the efficacy of the screening mechanisms for H. pylori. This was done to assess the possibility of using the H. pylori testing as a screening mechanism for PUD. Only publications written in English and available as “free full text” were utilized in the analysis. Search terms were pubmed MESH terms H. pylori and peptic ulcer disease. An association between H. pylori infection and an increased risk of developing PUD was found. However, the development of PUD was found to be a result of many other factors as well, most notably: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and smoking status. Furthermore, infections with H. pylori only rarely lead to development of PUD as many cases of H. pylori remain unproblematic and often asymptomatic. Ability of the various tests for H. pylori to detect an infection was assessed and extrapolated to show sensitivities and specificities of the various tests if they were used in PUD screening. Although there is a small but statistically significant association between H. pylori infection and PUD, using any of the currently available H. pylori tests as a screening mechanism for PUD is not reliable due to a low specificity and sensitivity.
Zachary J. Degner, Josée P. Proulx
Helicobacter pylori testing is not a suitable screening mechanism for peptic ulcer disease (PUD). A literature review was conducted to find studies that either showed association between H. pylori infection and PUD or proved the efficacy of the screening mechanisms for H. pylori. This was done to assess the possibility of using the H. pylori testing as a screening mechanism for PUD. Only publications written in English and available as “free full text” were utilized in the analysis. Search terms were pubmed MESH terms H. pylori and peptic ulcer disease. An association between H. pylori infection and an increased risk of developing PUD was found. However, the development of PUD was found to be a result of many other factors as well, most notably: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and smoking status. Furthermore, infections with H. pylori only rarely lead to development of PUD as many cases of H. pylori remain unproblematic and often asymptomatic. Ability of the various tests for H. pylori to detect an infection was assessed and extrapolated to show sensitivities and specificities of the various tests if they were used in PUD screening. Although there is a small but statistically significant association between H. pylori infection and PUD, using any of the currently available H. pylori tests as a screening mechanism for PUD is not reliable due to a low specificity and sensitivity.
