Knowledge and Attitude toward Treatment among Helicobacter pylori Patients in Khartoum State (2020_2021)
Abstract
Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) are a ubiquitous organism that is present in about 50% of the global population. H pylori is the leading bacterial cause of both malignant and non-malignant gasrtoduodenal disease and can lead to other serious complications. Sudan is one of the developing countries in which there is high prevalence without available and enough data about current situation. The last statistics had been done by ministry of health in Khartoum state in 2019 revealed that about 16242 persons were infected with h pylori from all ages and both sexes. Poor knowledge and wrong attitude toward treatment and route of transmission among helicobacter pylori patients will increase the prevalence and its complications in our country. Since there are no previous studies about the knowledge and attitude towards treatment among Helicobacter pylori patients in Sudan, we conducted this study to assess the knowledge and attitude among Sudanese helicobacter pylori patients towards treatment.
Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done with sample size equal to 284. The data was analyzed using SPSS. A score was developed to assess the overall level of knowledge that ranged from 0 to 23.
Results: Most of population had good level of knowledge 192 (77%). Also, a score from 0 to 3 was used to assess the level of attitude among the participants. The majority was found to have a positive attitude 127 (77%).
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Introduction
Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) are a ubiquitous organism that is present in about 50% of the global population. Chronic infection with H pylori causes atrophic and even metaplastic changes in the stomach, and it has a known association with peptic ulcer diseases‖ [1]. The most common route of h pylori infection is either oral -to -oral or fecal –to- oral contact‖ [2], environment could be a route of transmission; in this contaminated food and water are likely vehicles [3]‖. In general, patients infected with H pylori are asymptomatic, and no specific clinical signs and symptoms have been described. When signs and symptoms are present, they may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn, diarrhea, hunger in the morning and halitosis‖ [4]. ―Even though H. pylori colonization is usually asymptomatic, it leads to chronic active gastritis in most patients and is associated with a number of other gastrduodenal diseases, including gastric and duodenal ulcer disease, distal gastric adenocarcinoma, primary gastric mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, dyspepsia, atrophic gastritis, iron deficiency anemia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. This is why H. pylori eradication is preferred for a long-term prevention of the above-mentioned complications and to prevent the recurrence―[5]. ―The American college of gastroenterology (ACG) treatment guideline for first line and salvage therapies was last updated in 2017. Typically, H pylori treated with 2 to 3 antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). The 2017 guideline outlines evidence based. Frontline treatment strategies for providers in North America. These include clarithromycin triple therapy, bismuth quadruple therapy, concomitant therapy, sequential therapy, hybrid therapy, levofloxacin triple therapy and fluoroquinolone sequential therapy.
Conclusion
This study highlighted how common h pylori infection is, though it presented a small sample of population but was significant enough to give information about the knowledge and attitude of Sudanese patients who live in Khartoum state. This global health problem affects all age groups in the developing countries especially the younger population, in opposite to the developed countries with less prevalence rates and higher numbers in elderly people. In our study the younger people were more affected and this might be due to how younger people use the internet more than the elder. Therefore, a survey with interview method would be effective.