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Recurrent abdominal pain and Helicobacter pylori infection in children
Insights
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis is common in children with chronic upper abdominal pain. This study found a significant association, suggesting H. pylori IgG antibody testing as a useful initial screening method.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Recurrent chronic upper abdominal pain is a frequent pediatric complaint.
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis is a potential underlying cause.
- Understanding the prevalence of H. pylori in this population is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of H. pylori gastritis in children experiencing recurrent chronic upper abdominal pain.
- To evaluate the utility of H. pylori IgG antibody testing as a non-invasive screening tool.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 43 children (ages 3-14) with recurrent upper abdominal pain undergoing gastroscopy and biopsies.
- A control group of 42 children was included for comparison.
- H. pylori IgG antibodies were tested in whole blood for a subset of patients and compared with histological results.
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of H. pylori (75%) was observed in children with recurrent abdominal pain compared to the control group (40%).
- H. pylori IgG antibody testing demonstrated 93% sensitivity and 90% negative predictive value against histological identification.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant association between recurrent chronic upper abdominal pain in children and H. pylori gastritis in this population.
- H. pylori IgG antibody testing in whole blood serves as an effective initial, non-invasive screening test for H. pylori infection.
Unlabelled:
Recurrent chronic upper abdominal pain is a common problem in children and it has been associated with Helicobacter Pylori gastritis.
Aims And Objectives:
We under took this study, to find out the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori gastritis in children with recurrent chronic upper abdominal pain, in our set up.
Material And Methods:
This was prospective study carried out at KRL Hospital, Islamabad. Forty three children with chronic recurrent upper abdominal pain (age 3 to 14 years), underwent diagnostic gastroscopy and antral biopsies with histopathology, over a period of one year. Another 42 children of the same age group were taken as control group. Fifteen patients, who tested positive for H. pylori were tested for IgG antibodies in whole blood and compared with 15 patients having negative histology for H. pylori.
Results:
Thirty two (75%) children tested positive for H. pylori, in the test group, as compared to 17 (40%) histological positives in the control group (P = < 0.1). The patients who were tested for IgG antibodies showed that this test has 93% sensitivity, 60% specificity and a negative predictive value of 90% as compared to histological identification.
Conclusion:
Recurrent chronic upper abdominal pain in children, in our population has a significant association with Helicobacter pylori gastritis. Testing of IgG antibodies for H. pylori in whole blood can be used as initial, non invasive screening test for this organism.