Frequency of Helicobacter pylori in Stool Specimens of Patients Suspected of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms in District Bunir

There are studies on Helicobacter pylori infection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, district Buner is far away, and most people have the least access to more developed techniques for the diagnosis of different diseases, and no study has been conducted in this region. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the frequency of H. pylori infection in patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.

This study aimed to determine the frequency of H. pylori antigen in the stool of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Bilal Medical Trust Hospital from February 2018 to November 30, 2019. A total of 111 patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal symptoms were included in this study. A purposive (non-probability) sampling technique was used. All of the patients were screened for H. Pylori in stool specimens using a specific stool H. pylori device.

Out of 111 patients, 74 (66.66%) were reported positive for H. pylori infection, among whom, females had a higher ratio (54.05%) than had males (45.94%). The infection was more prevalent in patients aged 20 - 30 years (43.67%). Patients who consumed fresh milk had higher rates of infection than those who used powdered milk/packed milk (52.54% vs. 15.25%). Patients who consumed water from water wells had a higher infection rate (72.87%) than those who used water from tube wells (27.11%).

The present study revealed a higher prevalence of H. pylori in females than in males. The maximum prevalence was noticed in the age group of 20 - 30 years. The study indicated a significantly higher rate of H. pylori infection in patients who used uncooked milk and water from contaminated sources.