Prevalence and Associated Factors of Pylori Infection in Symptomatic Patients Admitted to A Major Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection (H. Pylori) has a worldwide distribution, especially with gastric along with duodenal ulcers. It has been associated with various disorders such as anemia, coronary heart disease, and thyroid disease. There are limited local studies available evaluating the role and association of H. Pylori to various other diseases. Therefore, the current study aims to inspect comorbidities linked with H. Pylori infection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A prospective study was conducted by enrolling outpatients from Salman Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital and National Hospital in Riyadh. A total of 323 patients presenting with dyspeptic symptoms were recruited between 2012 and 2015. A questionnaire was utilized and distributed to study the possible dyspeptic symptoms among the participants. Initial evaluation included a liver function, complete blood count, lipid and thyroid profile test. H. Pylori diagnosis was founded on “urea breath testâ€, “H. Pylori stool ELISA testâ€, “serologyâ€, and “upper endoscopy with gastric biopsyâ€. Results were presented as P-values, mean +/- SD, and 95% confidence intervals using SPSS version 20. A total of 323 patients with “dyspepsia†or “symptoms suggestive of gastritis†were enrolled. Approximately, 166 (51.4%) patients were “Pylori positiveâ€. The presence of positive H. Pylori was associated with frequent symptoms such as nausea, epigastric pain, vomiting, Dyspepsia, and bloating. Dyslipidemia, Anemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and hyperuricemia were more recurrent among the patients with H. Pylori infection. “Multivariate analysis†demonstrated a relationship between Pylori infection and each of “baseline cholesterol levelâ€, “diabetesâ€, “hemoglobinâ€, and baseline “TSH levelsâ€. H. Pylori infection is considered to be common in Saudi Arabia. It is linked with dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. In individuals with such disorders, H. Pylori management and testing are recommended. Prospective studies are needed in future to assess the benefit of eradication treatment as well as clinical implication of H. Pylori infection in the patients.