Prevalence of H. Pylori Seropositivity among Adult Nigerian Dyspeptic Patients

Background: Helicobacter pylori has been recognized as a common cause of diseases that manifest with dyspepsia.Objective: To determine the prevalence of H. pylori in dyspeptic patients and relate this with the duration of presentation, sociodemographic factors and socio-economic class (SEC) of the respondents.Materials and Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between April, 2010 and August, 2010 in the GOPD, Federal Medical Center, Owerri. A total of 150 dyspeptic adults formed the study population. Data was collected by the use of selfadministered questionnaires while the test was done by Rapid Diagnostic Test (serological method). The findings showed that the prevalence of H. pylori in the study population was 76.7(n=115) while 92.9% of the subjects in SEC III who presented with dyspepsia were seropositive to H. pylori. The relationship between SEC and the prevalence of H. pylori was statistically significant (P<0.005). Furthermore, the longer the duration of symptoms the higher the prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity.Conclusion: The Rapid Diagnostic Test for H. pylori which was applied in this study is simple, cheap and does not require expertise. The strips should be made readily available in Primary Health Centers and GOPDs for the screening of dyspeptic patients before empirical treatment with triple regimen and referral to tertiary facilities for diagnostic endoscopy.Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, Prevalence, Demographic