Cercetări preliminare privind infecția cu Helicobacter pylori la copii spitalizați proveniți din Nord-Vestul României | [Preliminary research on Helicobacter pylori infection in hospitalized children from northwestern Romania]

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) are the etiological agent of the most common chronic infection worldwide. The prevalence of the infection varies widely, with rates being higher in developing countries, with most of the infections occurring during childhood. Study Question: The aim of this study was to determine the rates of infection among children in our country. Study Design: A retrospective study was conducted, that analyzed a group of 7011 pediatric patients. Measures and Outcomes: We evaluated gastric biopsy samples along with clinical data coming from children that underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between 01.01.2000 and 31.12.2015. Results: The frequency of H pylori-positive samples was 24.49%. The linear increase in the proportion of infected patients with age is consistent with the data available worldwide. Conclusions: The high infection rate observed among the evaluated pediatric patients highlights the usefulness of additional research in favor of proper management of H pylori infection.