An idiopathic peptic ulcer is defined as an ulcer with unknown cause or an ulcer that appears to arise spontaneously. The first step in treatment is to exclude common possible causes, including Helicobacter pylori infection, infection with other pathogens, ulcerogenic drugs, and uncommon diseases with upper gastrointestinal manifestations. When all known causes are excluded, a diagnosis of idiopathic peptic ulcer can be made. A patient whose peptic ulcer is idiopathic may have a higher risk for complicated ulcer disease, a poorer response to gastric acid suppressants, and a higher recurrence rate after treatment. Risk factors associated with this disease may include genetic predisposition, older age, chronic mesenteric ischemia, smoking, concomitant diseases, a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and higher stress. Therefore, the diagnosis and management of emerging disease should systematically explore all known causes and treat underlying disease, while including regular endoscopic surveillance to confirm ulcer healing and the use of proton-pump inhibitors on a case-by-case basis.
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Humans ; Patient Selection ; Peptic Ulcer/*diagnosis/etiology/*therapy ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing/drug effects

OBJECTIVECarica papaya is an important fruit with its seeds used in the treatment of ulcer in Nigeria. This study investigated the anti-ulcerogenic and antioxidant activities of aqueous extract of Carica papaya seed against indomethacin-induced peptic ulcer in male rats.

METHODSThirty male rats were separated into 6 groups (A-F) of five rats each. For 14 d before ulcer induction with indomethacin, groups received once daily oral doses of vehicle (distilled water), cimetidine 200 mg/kg body weight (BW), or aqueous extract of C. papaya seed at doses of 100, 150 or 200 mg/kg BW (groups A, B, C, D, E and F, respectively). Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, groups B, C, D, E and F were treated with 100 mg/kg BW of indomethacin to induce ulcer formation.

RESULTSCarica papaya seed extract significantly (P< 0.05) increased gastric pH and percentage of ulcer inhibition relative to indomethacin-induced ulcer rats. The extract significantly (P< 0.05) decreased gastric acidity, gastric acid output, gastric pepsin secretion, ulcer index and gastric secretion volume relative to group B. These results were similar to that achieved by pretreatment with cimetidine. Specific activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the extract-treated groups (D, E and F) were increased significantly over the group B (P< 0.05). Pretreatment with the seed extract protected rats from the indomethacin-mediated decrease in enzyme function experienced by the group B. Similarly, indomethacin-mediated decrease in reduced glutathione level and indomethacin-mediated increase in malondialdehyde were reversed by Carica papaya extract.

CONCLUSIONIn this study, pretreatment with aqueous extract of Carica papaya seed exhibited anti-ulcerogenic and antioxidant effects, which may be due to the enhanced antioxidant enzymes.

Animals ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; administration & dosage ; Carica ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Duodenal Ulcer ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Gastric Acidity Determination ; Indomethacin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Seeds ; Stomach Ulcer ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Despite the generally declining trend in the incidence of peptic ulcers, peptic ulcer bleeding remains a prevalent and clinically significant condition. Additionally, despite the development of therapeutic endoscopy and acid-suppressive therapy, the overall mortality associated with peptic ulcer bleeding has remained at about 6% to 14%. Management of acute peptic ulcer bleeding requires prompt resuscitation, risk assessment, early endoscopic evaluation, and early initiation of pharmacotherapy. Advances in therapeutic endoscopic techniques and antisecretory therapies in the past few decades have reduced the incidence of recurrent bleeding and the mortality rate associated with this disease. Strategies to prevent recurrence have been defined for various causes of peptic ulcer bleeding. This article reviews the current diagnosis and management of acute peptic ulcer bleeding.
Diagnosis* ; Disease Management ; Drug Therapy ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage* ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Recurrence ; Resuscitation ; Risk Assessment

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Increased incidence of coronary artery disease has led to the increased use of dual antiplatelet therapy composed of aspirin and clopidogrel. We investigated the incidence of gastrointestinal complications in patients who received single or dual antiplatelet therapy and analyzed their clinical characteristics in order to predict the prognostic factors. METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2011, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent coronary angiography at Chung-Ang University Hospital (Seoul, Korea). One hundred and ninety-four patients were classified into two groups: aspirin alone group and dual antiplatelet group. Clinical characteristics, past medical history, and presence of peptic ulcer were analyzed. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 11 patients had duodenal ulcer; the event rate was 2.02% in the aspirin alone group and 9.47% in the dual antiplatelet group (hazard ratio [HR] 5.24, 95% CI 1.03-26.55, p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of significant upper gastrointestinal bleeding: 0% vs. 4.2% (p=0.78). In patients who received proton pump inhibitor (PPI), 24 patients had gastric ulcer; the event rate was significantly different between the two groups: 4.87% vs. 22.98% (HR 3.40, 95% CI 1.02-11.27, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dual antiplatelet groups had a higher incidence of duodenal ulcers without significant bleeding compared with the aspirin alone group. In patients who received PPI, the dual antiplatelet therapy group had a higher incidence of gastric ulcers without significant bleeding compared with the aspirin alone group. Therefore, physicians must pay attention to high risk groups who receive dual antiplatelet therapy and aggressive diagnostic endoscopy should also be considered.
Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/*therapeutic use/toxicity ; Aspirin/*therapeutic use/toxicity ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease/*prevention & control ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/chemically induced/prevention & control ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer/*diagnosis/epidemiology/etiology ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/*therapeutic use/toxicity ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Ticlopidine/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use/toxicity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In pediatrics, endoscopic examination has become a common procedure for evaluation of gastrointestinal presentations. However, there are limited data on pediatric endoscopy in Korea. The aim of this study was to analyze the current status and clinical impacts of endoscopic examination in children and adolescents. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of outpatients who visited the tertiary hospital. Patients under 18 years of age who underwent endoscopy were included. Endoscopic findings were classified as specific and normal based on gross findings. Specific endoscopic findings were reflux esophagitis, peptic ulcers, and Mallory-Weiss tear. Other findings included acute gastritis classified according to the updated Sydney system. RESULTS: In 722 of 330,350 patients (0.2%), endoscopic examination (554 esophagogastroduodenoscopies [EGDs], 121 colonoscopies, 47 sigmoidoscopies) was performed between January 2008 and January 2013. In EGD, abdominal pain was the most frequent presentation (64.1%). The most common diagnosis was gastritis (53.2%), followed by reflux esophagitis. The frequency of peptic ulcer disease was 12.8%. Frequent symptoms leading to colonoscopic examination were abdominal pain, diarrhea, and hematochezia. In colonoscopy, a negative result was more likely in children younger than 7 years old. After the procedure, the diagnostic yield of EGD and colonoscopy was 88.1% and 45.8%, respectively, and the rate of change in management was 67.1%. CONCLUSIONS: In pediatrics, endoscopic examination was useful for the choice of therapeutic strategy and it would be a standard method for evaluation of gastrointestinal presentation.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophagitis, Peptic/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Female ; Gastritis/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/diagnosis ; Histamine H2 Antagonists/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND: Clarithromycin, amoxicillin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and levofloxacin have been commonly used for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. We compared the change in antibiotic resistance of H. pylori strains during two separate periods and investigated the effect of antibiotic resistance on H. pylori eradication. METHODS: H. pylori strains were isolated from 71 patients between 2009 and 2010 and from 94 patients between 2011 and 2012. The distribution of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5 antibiotics was assessed using the agar dilution method, and H. pylori eradication based on the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: Antibiotic resistance rate against clarithromycin, amoxicillin, tetracycline, metronidazole, and levofloxacin for the 2009-2010 isolates were 7.0% (5/71), 2.8% (2/71), 0% (0/71), 45.1% (32/71), and 26.8% (19/71), respectively, and for the 2011-2012 isolates were 16.0% (15/94), 2.1% (2/94), 0% (0/94), 56.3% (53/94), and 22.3% (21/94), respectively. Multi-drug resistance for 2 or more antibiotics increased slightly from 16.9% (12/71) in the 2009-2010 isolates to 23.4% (22/94) in the 2011-2012 isolates. In follow-up testing of 66 patients, first-line treatment successfully eradicated H. pylori in 50 patients (75.8%) and failed in 4 of 7 patients (57.1%) in a clarithromycin-resistant and amoxicillin-susceptible group. CONCLUSIONS: We observed an increase in resistance to clarithromycin and an overall increase in multi-drug resistance during the 2 study periods. The effectiveness of the eradication regimen was low with combinations of clarithromycin and amoxicillin, particularly in the clarithromycin-resistant group. Thus, eradication of H. pylori depends upon periodic monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility.
Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/*drug effects ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori/*drug effects/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer/diagnosis/microbiology ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Since the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research has first developed the guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in 1998, the revised guideline was proposed in 2009 by the same group. Although the revised guideline was made by comprehensive review of previous articles and consensus of authoritative expert opinions, the evidence-based developmental process was not applied in the revision of the guideline. This new guideline has been revised especially in terms of changes in the indication and treatment of H. pylori infection in Korea, and developed by the adaptation process as evidence-based method; 6 guidelines were retrieved by systematic review and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II process, 21 statements were made with grading system and revised by modified Delphi method. After revision, 11 statements for the indication of test and treatment, 4 statements for the diagnosis and 4 statements for the treatment have been developed, respectively. The revised guideline has been reviewed by external experts before the official endorsement, and will be disseminated for usual clinical practice in Korea. Also, the scheduled update and revision of the guideline will be made periodically.
Amoxicillin/therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Aspirin/therapeutic use ; Bismuth/therapeutic use ; Breath Tests ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/etiology ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/complications ; Metaplasia/complications ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Peptic Ulcer/complications/drug therapy ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Republic of Korea ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/surgery ; Tetracycline/therapeutic use

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In spite of the improvement of medical treatment for the peptic ulcer disease (PUD), PUD is still one of the common upper gastrointestinal diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors and general characteristics of Korean patients diagnosed as PUD at a single third referral center. METHODS: A total of 310 patients, diagnosed as PUD through endoscopy during one year of 2007 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were, retrospectively, evaluated regarding age, gender, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) positivity, clinical manifestations, comorbidities and medications. In addition, PUD was analyzed in the aspect of ulcer location, type of visit, gastrointestinal bleeding, and age. RESULTS: The mean age was 61.5 years old (48.1% over 65) and 208 (66.7%) patients were men. The rate of H. pylori infection was 47.8%, and any ulcerogenic medication history such as antiplatelet agents and NSAIDs was found to be 21.0% (65 patients). The rate of idiopathic peptic ulcer without evidence of H. pylori and NSAIDs was found to be 40.6% (126 patients). Among 310 PUD patients, bleeding symptoms such as melena, hematemesis and hematochezia occurred in 110 patients (35.5%). CONCLUSIONS: PUD was more prevalent in the elderly patients and frequently associated with bleeding. Substantial proportion of PUD patients had neither H. pylori infection nor history of ulcerogenic medications, suggesting of increasing prevalence of idiopathic PUD.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/diagnosis ; Helicobacter pylori ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Male ; Melena ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer/*diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Prevalence ; Referral and Consultation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors

In 2010, a Korean guideline for the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was made by the Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, in which the definition and diagnosis of GERD were not included. The aim of this guideline was to update the clinical approach to the diagnosis and management of GERD in adult patients. This guideline was developed by the adaptation process of the ADAPTE framework. Twelve guidelines were retrieved from initial queries through the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II process. Twenty-seven statements were made as a draft and revised by modified Delphi method. Finally, 24 consensus statements for the definition (n=4), diagnosis (n=7) and management (n=13) of GERD were developed. Multidisciplinary experts participated in the development of the guideline, and the external review of the guideline was conducted at the finalization phase.
Antacids/therapeutic use ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/therapeutic use ; Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Barrett Esophagus/complications/diagnosis ; Databases, Factual ; Diet ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophageal pH Monitoring ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Histamine Antagonists/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer/complications/diagnosis ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Revaprazan (Revanex(R)) is a novel proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that has a somewhat different effect on proton pump compared with the other PPI's, also (called as 'acid pump antagonist'). We aimed to examine the false negative rate of 13C-urea breath test (UBT) in the patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) associated peptic ulcer disease who were treated with revaprazan and evaluate the anti-urease activity of revaprazan. METHODS: Total 55 patients were enrolled in this study. They received EGD examination between January 2009 and December 2009 and diagnosed histologically as H. pylori associated peptic ulcer disease. All patients took revaprazan only. Three patients were excluded because of underlying chronic disease and inappropriate breath sampling. The remaining 52 patients had UBT at 0, 2 and 4 weeks of revaprazan use. After 2 weeks of the cessation of revaprazan, they had the fourth UBT. RESULTS: At 2 and 4 weeks, the false negative rates of UBT were 5.8% and 23.1%, respectively (p=0.05). After 2 weeks of the cessation, the cases of the false negative result were five. Four out of five patients had prolonged negative results on two or three successive tests, and baseline 13C difference value did not predict the false negative results. CONCLUSIONS: False negative results of UBT were common and increased with prolonged use of acid pump antagonist. As PPI, it had also anti-urease activity and most patients (47/52, 90.4%) reverted to positive results by 2 weeks after the cessation of taking the medication.
*Breath Tests ; Carbon Isotopes ; False Negative Reactions ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*diagnosis ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer/*drug therapy/microbiology ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Pyrimidinones/*therapeutic use ; Tetrahydroisoquinolines/*therapeutic use ; Urea/*diagnostic use