A Study on the Combined Application of Gastroscopy and the Rapid Urease Test in Paediatric Gastric Disorders

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Diagnostic Microbiology

Background:

• Gastric disorders are common in children.
• Accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is crucial for effective treatment.
• Current diagnostic methods may have limitations in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy, safety, and clinical utility of combining gastroscopy with the rapid urease test (RUT) for diagnosing gastric disorders in children.
• To assess the diagnostic performance of this combined approach compared to gold standards.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study involving 100 children aged 4-14 years undergoing gastroscopy.
• Multi-site gastric biopsies were analyzed using the RUT.
• Histology and 13C-urea breath test served as gold standards for H. pylori detection.

Main Results:

• The overall H. pylori infection rate was 31%, higher in children aged ≥10 years.
• The combined gastroscopy-RUT approach demonstrated high accuracy: 96.8% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity (AUC = 0.961).
• The procedure was safe, with only two minor adverse events reported.

Conclusions:

• Gastroscopy combined with RUT offers an efficient and accurate method for simultaneous diagnosis of gastric lesions and H. pylori infection in children.
• This integrated approach supports personalized treatment strategies for pediatric gastric conditions.
• The combined method significantly outperforms gastroscopy alone in diagnostic accuracy.