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Helicobacter pylori serology testing is a useful diagnostic screening tool for symptomatic inner city children
Author(s) -
Raj Priya,
Thompson John F.,
Pan Debra H.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.13724
Subject(s) - medicine , rapid urease test , gastroenterology , serology , helicobacter pylori , epigastric pain , esophagogastroduodenoscopy , vomiting , urea breath test , population , histology , heartburn , gastritis , antibody , immunology , endoscopy , helicobacter pylori infection , environmental health , disease , reflux
Aim This study assessed the Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) serum antibody test as a diagnostic screening tool in symptomatic inner city children. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients aged one to 18 years who were referred to our paediatric gastroenterology department from 2009 to 2013. We included all patients who had H. pylori serum antibodies and/or faecal antigens who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy ( EGD ) for histology, with or without a gastric tissue rapid urease test. Results A total of 395 patients had EGD s carried out to evaluate epigastric pain, heartburn and nausea or vomiting, and their overall socio‐economic Z ‐score was −2.62. The histology was positive for H. pylori infection in 52 of 395 patients (13%), and epigastric pain was documented in 45 of these 52 patients (87%). Compared to histology, the serum H. pylori antibody test had a sensitivity of 88.4% and a specificity of 93.4%. The tissue rapid urease test and faecal antigen test had sensitivities of 89.3% and 55.6% and specificities of 89.9% and 98.9%, respectively. Conclusion The serum H. pylori antibody test had high sensitivity and specificity, and it was a good diagnostic screening tool in our study. Epigastric pain was strongly associated with a current H. pylori infection in our population.