Prevalence and associated factors of Helicobacter pylori in pediatric patients at a high-complexity institution in Medellín

Abstract

Objectives: To provide information on the sociodemographic, environmental, and clinical characteristics associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in children. Methods: A total of 183 children aged 4 to 17 years who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsies at a high-complexity hospital in Medellín, Colombia, between April 2022 and March 2024 were included. Socioeconomic data, gastrointestinal symptoms, endoscopic, and histological findings were analyzed. The prevalence of H. pylori and its association with sociodemographic, clinical, and environmental factors were calculated. Results: The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 23%. There was no association between infection and sociodemographic variables or symptoms. Infected patients more frequently presented with active chronic inflammation (97.6% vs. 13.5%, p<0.001), antral nodularity (50% vs. 7.1%, p<0.001), pangastric erythema (33.3% vs. 14.2%, p=0.005), a personal history of H. pylori infection (4.8% vs. 2,1%, p=0.009) was significantly more frequent in the infected group. A family history of gastric cancer was found in 2 patients in the infected group (4,8%). Conclusions: A similar prevalence to that reported in other Latin American studies was observed. The importance of integrating endoscopic and histological assessment with relevant sociodemographic and clinical factors is highlighted to enable a more rational identification of H. pylori, and to lay the groundwork for future research in our population.