Frecuencia de Helicobacter pylori mediante la técnica inmunocromatográfica de antígeno fecal en pacientes del Hospital Universitario del Río, 2018-2021

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a type of gram-negative bacteria that causes various gastric infections, which are acquired in the first years of life. The manifestation of this disease is determined by different factors like socioeconomic status, poor hygienic conditions, and overcrowding, among others. In 2021, tha Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported that over half of the world's population is infected by this bacterium, and 15-20% of those cases are related to the development of peptic ulcers, mucosa-associated lymphoid, and gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of Helicobacter pylori through the immunochromatographic fecal antigen test in patients of Hospital Universitario del Río, 2018-2021. It was a descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study. Data was collected from the anonymized database of the results of the immunochromatographic fecal antigen test of the hospital clinical laboratory. Those results were recorded in a digital form and interpreted through simple and/or cross tabulation using the IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25 software, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word. The results show that the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection was 42%; with a predominance of the female gender (63%). Participants aged over 61 were the ones with the highest positivity rate (18%). The province of Azuay reported the highest number of positive cases (64%) and the most frequently demanded hospital services was that of outpatient care (87%).