Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and Endoscopic findings among Dyspeptics in Kumasi, Ghana
[1]
Mary K. Y. Afihene , Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Directorate of Internal Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
[2]
Mark Denyer , Gastroenterology Department, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
[3]
John H. Amuasi , Research and Development Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
[4]
Isaac Boakye , Research and Development Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
[5]
Kofi Nkrumah , Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, Kole Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
Background: Gastroduodenal conditions like dyspepsia has emerged as one of the non-communicable diseases (NCD) affecting adults in Ghana. The disease is associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and has a number of causes which can be diagnosed endoscopically. The prevalence of H. pylori and endoscopic findings in Accra, Ghana have been reported. However, in other parts of the country they are not known. Aim: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and endoscopic findings in patients with dyspepsia referred for endoscopy at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi. The relationships between H. pylori and the endoscopic findings were also determined. Methods: The Study was a hospital-based prospective cross sectional study of 300 patients aged fifteen (15) years and above with dyspepsia. Upper GI endoscopy was performed on each participant. Endoscopic findings and H. pylori test results were documented. Results: There were more females 176 (59.0%) than males and the mean age of the subjects was 42.7 years (SD 16.9). Using rapid urease test (RUT) 175 (58.72%) subjects tested positive for H. pylori. Endoscopy showed normal findings in more than half, 168 (56.0%), of the patients, The rest had a variety or combination of pathologies. The most common abnormal finding was gastritis, 60, (20.0%). Duodenal ulcer (DU) was present in 32 (10.6%) and oesophagitis in 16 (5.3%), 13 had gastric ulcer (GU) (4.3%), 7 (2.3%) of the patients had gastric carcinoma and one patient had an oesophageal carcinoma. Duodenal ulcer was the only endoscopic finding significantly associated with H. pylori, Odds Ratio 3.59, 95% CI 1.30-12.27; p=0.007. Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori infection using (RUT) in dyspeptics referred for endoscopy at the endoscopy unit in KATH was 58.72%. The majority of the dyspeptics (56%) had normal endoscopy. The commonest abnormal finding was gastritis. H. pylori was significantly associated with duodenal ulcer.
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