Many peptic ulcer diagnoses based on symptoms alone - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  August, 2003  

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Many patients being treated with acid suppression medications for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) have been diagnosed based on their symptoms alone and have not had the diagnosis confirmed by an x-ray or endoscopy, according to a May 27, 2003, news release from Kaiser Permanente. In a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of testing and treating patients for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) bacteria infection, researchers found that of 650 patients diagnosed with PUD, only 17% had undergone x-ray or endoscopy to document the disease, and fewer than 40% tested positive for Hp. All of the patients were taking acid suppression medication, and 28% had taken these medications for six years or longer.

Study results suggest that most ot these patients actually were suffering from dyspepsia--upper abdominal pain or discomfort that is common in Western countries. The researchers advise that if patients with undocumented PUD still are experiencing ulcer-like symptoms after undergoing acid-suppression therapy for one year, they should have an x-ray or endoscopy rather than simply continuing to take these medications and before undergoing testing for Hp.

Kaiser Permanente Research: Many Patients on Acid-suppressing Drugs for Ulcer Disease Have Neither Ulcers Nor H.pylori Infection (news release, Oakland, Calif: Kaiser Permanente, May 27, 2003) http://www.prnewswire.com (accessed 27 May 2003).

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