Helicobacter pylori Infection as a Cause of Dyspepsia in the Pakistani Population: An Experience From a Large...

Background Dyspepsia is one of the most common worldwide gastrointestinal disorders, more prevalent in developing countries like Pakistan. One of the most common causes of dyspepsia is Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the frequency of H. pylori infection among dyspeptic patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to March 2022 at Medical Ward VII, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi. In this study, 370 patients aged 18 years or higher of either gender presenting with symptoms of dyspepsia for more than four weeks were recruited. Patients who received antibiotics within the last four weeks and those with suspected gastric malignancies or liver disease were excluded from the study. Clinical assessment, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and histopathological examination of gastric biopsies were performed. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results H. pylori infection was diagnosed in 64.8% of patients presenting with dyspepsia. Dominant dyspeptic symptoms included upper abdominal pain in 92.4% of the cases and heartburn in 82.2%. Significant associations with H. pylori infection included male gender (p = 0.03), low socioeconomic status (p ≤ 0.01), consumption of outside food (p = 0.012), low hemoglobin levels (p = 0.02), low lymphocyte count (p = 0.017), and decreased lymphocyte count (p = 0.039). Conclusions H. pylori infection is a very common cause of dyspepsia in Pakistan, and much needs to be done at the public health level to improve hygiene and dietary practices. Longitudinal outcomes, antibiotic resistance, and treatment efficacy are further areas that need to be researched to define an optimal management strategy.