Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in Arba Minch Hospital: southwestern Ethiopia.

A prospective study was conducted to determine the frequency of occurrence of Helicobacter pylori infection in outpatients presenting with upper gastro intestinal symptoms to Arba Minch Hospital over a one year period. Four hundred and forty four patient, 309 males and 135 females, underwent upper gastro intestinal fiberoptic endoscopy between March 1989 and April 1990. The age range was 14 to 75 years (mean = 35). All 444 patients were examined and tested for infection. Sixty per cent had abnormal endoscopy results. The major endoscopic findings were gastritis in 23% and peptic ulcer disease in 20% of the patients. To identify H. pylori infection, 2 biopsy specimens were taken from the greater curve of the gastric antral mucosa of all patients. The specimens were examined using the urease diagnostic test and Loeffler Methylene Blue stain. Infection was considered present when either of the tests were positive. Infection by H. pylori was found in 324 patients (73%). Among the 173 patients without endoscopic findings, 63% had infection. Of 271 patients with abnormal endoscopic findings, 79% were infected. The results of this study show that H. pylori infection is a common finding in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in Ethiopia. There is a higher prevalence of infection among patients with endoscopic findings. Thus the management of patients with upper gastro-intestinal symptoms in Ethiopia should take H. pylori infection into consideration.