Helicobacter pylori infection and recurrent abdominal pain in Turkish children.
BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori infection is primarily acquired in childhood. However, the association between H. pylori infection and recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) remains unclear.


METHODS
One hundred and forty-one children with and 21 without RAP underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. At least five antral gastric biopsies were obtained from each patient and the presence of H. pylori infection was accepted when at least two out of four tests (histology, direct antral smear, culture, and rapid urease test) were positive. Patients with H. pylori infection underwent triple therapy with omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole.


RESULTS
Eighty-five out of 141 (60.3%) patients with RAP were H. pylori positive whereas 5 out of 21 (20.8%) patients without RAP were (p =.0037). Symptoms were disappeared in 87% of children whose H. pylori infection was eradicated compared with 41% of those in whom the infection was not eradicated (p =.0035).


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that children with RAP and H. pylori infection appear to benefit from eradication therapy in Turkey.
Ozen
H
H
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara-Turkey.
Dinler
G
G
Akyön
Y
Y
Koçak
N
N
Yüce
A
A
Gürakan
F
F
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000209:etiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey