title: Low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori among symptomatic children from a hospital in Havana, Cuba.
abstract: The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and to introduce a new algorithm to improve its diagnosis in Cuban symptomatic children. One hundred and thirty-three consecutive children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms were studied. Patients were endoscoped and antral biopsies were obtained for rapid urease test (RUT), culture and histology. Prevalence of H. pylori infection was 30.8%. No statistical differences were found concerning demographic, socio-economic factors or chief clinical complaints, between H. pylori-positive and negative children, except for haematemesis, which was significantly higher in infected children (p = 0.003). Histologically, there was statistical association between moderate chronic gastritis in infected children (p = 0.04). Culture and RUT had the highest specificity and sensitivity, respectively. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in Cuban symptomatic children is similar to the one observed in developed countries. Culture and RUT is a useful combination to diagnose H. pylori infection in paediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Tropical Medicine Institute Pedro Kourí (IPK), Autopista Novia Mediodía Km 6 ½, Havana, Cuba. llanesrafael2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Llanes
authors.forename: Leslie M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Millán
authors.forename: María P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gala
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Capó
authors.forename: Onelkis
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Feliciano
authors.forename: Oderay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Llop
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.forename: Guillermo I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pérez
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors