Helicobacter pylori and recurrent pain abdomen

Niranjan Biswal1, N Ananathakrishnan, Vikram Kate

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India. nbiswal@jipmer.edu

Insights

Helicobacter pylori infection is common in children with recurrent abdominal pain. Eradicating this infection effectively relieved symptoms in most cases, suggesting it as a valuable treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a frequent childhood issue with multifactorial causes.
  • Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is prevalent in children and can lead to abdominal pain and peptic ulcers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess HP status in children diagnosed with RAP.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of HP eradication therapy in resolving abdominal pain in these children.

Main Methods:

  • The study included 76 children experiencing recurrent abdominal pain.
  • Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) was performed to diagnose HP infection.

Main Results:

  • 14.8% of children had secondary causes for abdominal pain.
  • HP infection was identified in 65.45% of children undergoing UGIE.
  • Most children showed symptom resolution after HP eradication therapy using OCA or OMA regimens.

Conclusions:

  • HP eradication therapy is strongly recommended for children with RAP and confirmed HP infection.
  • Clinical response to therapy supports its advocacy in managing pediatric abdominal pain linked to HP.
Abstract

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