Abstract
Testing for Helicobacter pylori Infection: Validation and diagnostic yield of Christensen’s urea agar in a Tertiary hospital in Cebu City
Danaque, Karen
Background: Helicobacter pylori is a gram negative, microaerophilic, spiral shaped bacteria that has been recognized as a class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. It resides in the gastric mucosa and is a principal risk factor for developing peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma. Testing for this bacteria can be done through various methods but have proven to be costly. Finding an affordable and economical diagnostic modality can hasten treatment and its subsequent eradication thus decreasing the incidence of gastric cancer.
Objectives: To validate the results of Christensen’s Urea Agar in a tertiary hospital in Cebu City.
Methodology: This study included patients at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center 18 years old and above with varied indications for endoscopy and underwent H. pylori testing. Data from 99 patients was obtained. Descriptive analysis was applied to the frequencies and percentages as well as mea standard deviation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive vales of the Christensen’s agar was calculated against the commercially available Pronto Test.
Results: The mean age of patients included in this study was 50 years old with statistically the same number of males and females. The proportion of patients who tested positive for H. pylori using the Pronto Test was 26.26% and 10.10% in the Christensen’s Urea Agar group. Analysis of data showed that Christensen’s Urea Agar has a true positivity rate of 20.23% to 59.43% and a true negativity rate of 95.07 to 100%. Overall, the probability that a patient is correctly classified is between 75.09 to 90.47%.
Conclusion: The results of this study imply that Christensen’s Urea Agar can be a good substitute to the Pronto Test.
Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, Pronto Test, Christensen’s Urea Agar
Important Dates to Remember
| JRRE Activities 2023-2024 |
Proposed Dates |
|---|---|
| Resumption of face-to-face Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop Venue to be announced once finalized. |
July 21, 2023 (Friday), 1-5pm |
| Monthly Critical Appraisal of Topics Conferences to be gaciliated by Research Coordinators per Institution | Monthly Critical Appraisal of Topics Conferences per Institution |
| CAT Plenary/Liver Con Dates: September 23, 2023 December 16, 2023 March 2024 (During the JAC) Resumption of face-to-face Quarterly Critical Appraisal of Topics facilitated by the JRRE |
2 Clinical scenarios and articles are to be sent to institutions each on August 2023, November 2023, and February 2024; |
| Hybrid Research Workshop 4 week asynchronous via Moodle, followed by a 1 day on-site Onsite Workshop Research Protocol Presentation for Level I GI Fellows-In-Training - Research Protocol Presentation: August 12, 2023 - Research Forums of the Tripartite Societies |
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| Research Manuscript Workshop for level II GI Fellows-In-Training | January 6, 2024 |