Original Article Prevalence and Diagnosis of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in a Tertiary Hospital in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Background: Helicobacter Pylori, is a gram-negative bacterium. It is a major cause of gastritis, gastric ulcer and gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori infection in Bahrain and compare our prevalence with the prevalence of H. Pylori infection in different countries through systematic review of the literature. We also attempted to determine the diagnostic tests used in Bahrain. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study during one year interval from January 2018 to December 2018 for all gastric biopsies taken through endoscopy for dyspepsia, we determined the prevalence of H. Pylori, and we also analyzed the diagnostic modalities used in our institution. Results: A total of 942 patients had gastric biopsy, including 544(57.8%) females and 398 males (42.2%). A higher prevalence of H. Pylori was found in men versus women (98/392) (25%) vs (110/536) (20.5%), respectively, which was statistically not significant (p 50 years (49.1%) and 472 patients are <50 years (50.9%). H. Pylori prevalence was 22.4 % by histology and 38.5% by urea breath test (UBT). Among those with a result for both tests, there was 59.4% concordance. Conclusion: This study revealed that the overall prevalence of H. Pylori in patients with dyspepsia in our institute is 22.4%. The prevalence of H. Pylori was higher in men. Concordance between histology and UBT was 59.4% in this group. Funding: None Declaration of Interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest. Ethical Approval: Ethical approval was obtained from our institutional Review Board.