title: Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Children: The Role of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Use.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Helicobacter pylori infection in the aetiology of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty-eight patients (82 girls, 106 boys; mean age 8.43 ± 5.24 years), admitted to the paediatric gastroenterology unit because of UGIB and who underwent endoscopic examination, were studied from their medical records, retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Upper gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in 188 (8.29%) of 2266 patients. The mucosal causes related to the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum were found at the rate of 37%, 58% and 24.5%, respectively with endoscopic examination. The location of bleeding could not be determined in 14.4% of the patients. History of drug intake before admitting to hospital was present in 40 patients (21.3%). When we examined these forty patients, 35% were on acetylsalicylic acid, 47.5% were on ibuprofen and 17.5% were on NSAIDs. Ibuprofen versus acetylsalicylic acid usage was found to be highly significant (p < 0.05) for UGIB. Helicobacter pylori was found in 20.7% of the patients. The relationship between H pylori and UGIB was not found statistically significant (p > 0.05). The relationship between drug intake and presence of H pylori infection was not found significant in our patients (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid intake were found significant in the aetiology of UGIB in children. There was no significant connection with Helicobacter pylori infection in children with UGIB. We did not find a significant relationship with drug intake and H pylori infection.
authors.affiliation: Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Education and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, 34377 Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey. mervekesim@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.affiliation: Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Urganci