Abstract

AROCA ALBINO, Johanna Marielisa  and  VELEZ ZAMORA, Luis. Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in asymptomatic patients in Ecuador. Vive Rev. Salud [online]. 2021, vol.4, n.11, pp.80-89. ISSN 2664-3243.  https://doi.org/10.33996/revistavive.v4i11.87.

Helicobacter pylori infection is generally acquired during childhood and remains asymptomatic for years causing chronic conditions. Its association with gastrointestinal diseases includes peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, and MALT-type lymphomas. In developed countries, the prevalence of infection by this agent is 14%, contrary to underdeveloped countries with 92%; however, asymptomatic conditions are little described in the literature. The objective of this article is to characterize Helicobacter pylori infection in asymptomatic patients in the outpatient area, according to the prevalence in the Hospital “Dr. Efrén Jurado López” from the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador, during the first quarter of 2019. The research was based on a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study in 684 asymptomatic patients. The results found show in Ecuador the prevalence for H. pylori infection in asymptomatic patients was 47.66%, with respect to age 8% and 15.1% correspond to pre-childhood and childhood, 29.8% youth, 55.1% adulthood, older person 94.6%. The distribution according to sex is 43.9% female and 51.5% male, observing that hygiene habits influence the significant increase in cases. The identification of cases of patients with asymptomatic H. pylori infection is important to carry out actions that allow stratifying the risk and treating these patients in a timely manner, avoiding the progression of complicated conditions such as hemorrhages or neoplasms, especially in infants.

Keywords : Helicobacter pylori; patients asymptomatic; prevalence; infection.

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