Peptic ulcer laboratory tests
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, M.D. [2] Manpreet Kaur, MD [3]
Overview
Lab tests for the diagnosis of peptic ulcer can be divided into invasive and non-invasive tests. The most common invasive tests include rapid urease testing, histology, and culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The most common non-invasive test include urea breath test, antibody testing, and monoclonal fecal antigen.
Laboratory Findings
- Approach of patients <55 years, depending of the H. pylori (H. pylori) prevalence (≥10%):
- Test and treat for H. pylori using a validated noninvasive test and a trial of acid suppression if eradication is successful but symptoms do not resolve OR
- Empiric trial of acid suppression with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for 4-8 weeks.[1]
The methods of diagnostic testing for H. pylori can be classified into invasive and non-invasive tests:[2][3]
Invasive tests:
- Endoscopy with biopsy is recommended to diagnose cancer and other causes in patients 55 years or older, or with one or more alarm symptoms such asunexplained weight loss, progressive dysphagia, odynophagia, recurrent vomiting, family history of gastrointestinal cancer, overt gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal mass, iron deficiency anemia, or jaundice.[4][5][6][7]
- Patients who have not been taking a PPI within one to two weeks of endoscopy, or bismuth or an antibiotic within four weeks, the rapid urease test performed on the biopsy specimen provides an accurate
- Patients who have been on these medications will require histology, with or without rapid urease testing. Culture and polymerase chain reaction allow for susceptibility testing[8]
| Endoscopic testing | Comments |
|---|---|
| Rapid urease testing | Patients who have not been on a PPI within 1-2 weeks or an antibiotic or bismuth within 4 weeks of endoscopy |
| Histology | Patients who have been taking a PPI, antibiotics, or bismuth, endoscopic testing should include biopsies from the gastric body and antrum |
| Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction | Not routinely recommended |
Noninvasive tests:
- Urea breath test (carbon 13) tests:Urea breath tests require the ingestion of urea labeled with the nonradioactive isotope carbon 13 or carbon 14.Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) should be stopped for two weeks before the test. It is used to document eradication therapy and should be performed four to six weeks after completion of eradication therapy.
- Stool monoclonal antigen tests- it detect active infection and can be used as a test of cure. PPIs should be stopped for two weeks before testing.It can be done by following methods:[9][10][11][12][13]
- Enzyme immunoassay
- Immunochromatography
- Antibody tests
| Nonendoscopic testing | Comments |
|---|---|
| Urea breath tests | Provide reliable means of identifying active H. pylori infection before antibiotic treatment and is the most reliable nonendoscopic test to document eradication of infection |
| Serological testing | Limited use in low prevalence H. pylori populations |
Stool monoclonal antigen
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Used to detect active infection and can be used to document eradication of infection |
- The possibility of other causes of ulcers, notably malignancy (gastric cancer) needs to be kept in mind. This is especially true in ulcers of the greater (large) curvature of the stomach; most are also a consequence of chronic H. pylori infection.
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: indicated in patients >55 years, those whose symptoms do not respond to medications, those with alarm symptoms (bleeding, weight loss, chronicity, persistent vomiting.[14]
In patients with acute upper GI bleeding who are unstable rapid assessment and resuscitation should be initiated even before diagnostic evaluation. Once hemodynamic stability is achieved, a proper clinical history, physical examination, and initial laboratory findings are crucial not only in determining the likely sources of bleeding but also in directing the appropriate intervention. In acute GI bleeding, initial hematocrit level measured will not accurately reflect the amount of blood loss. Laboratory findings of chronic upper GI bleeding include anemia, coagulopathy, and an elevated BUN-to-creatinine ratio.
Initial Laboratory Studies
- Common laboratory findings include anemia, coagulopathy, and an elevated BUN-to-creatinine ratio.[15][16]
- The hematocrit level is used to identify the degree of blood loss and suggests the acuity or chronicity of blood loss.[17][18]
- Serial complete blood count (CBC) tests are important for monitoring the presence of ongoing blood loss.
- Initial CBC may not fully reflect the actual degree of acute blood loss.
- On peripheral blood smear prepared with Wright-Giemsa stain, normal erythrocytes are smaller than the nucleus of a normal lymphocyte, and the central clear area should not be overly prominent.
- Iron-deficiency anemia is associated with chronic blood loss, in which erythrocytes are smaller (microcytic) and appear lighter (hypochromic) than normal cells.
- Mild to moderate thrombocytopenia (>30 × 103/µL) does not usually result in spontaneous bleeding, although patients with a pre-existing lesion may bleed in the presence of even mild thrombocytopenia.[19]
- Platelet count may rise in response to significant gastrointestinal bleeding and may fall with multiple blood transfusions.
- Low ferritin level is the most specific test for iron-deficiency anemia. This finding together with a low iron and high TIBC levels are helpful in diagnosing iron-deficiency anemia, a common complication of ongoing or significant UGIB.[15]
- BUN level may be elevated out of proportion to any increase in the creatinine level in patients with UGIB, secondary to breakdown of blood proteins to urea by intestinal bacteria.[20]
- In patients with esophageal varices, acquired coagulopathies (Increased PT,PTT) are common due to cirrhosis.
References
- ↑ Talley NJ, Vakil N, Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology (2005). "Guidelines for the management of dyspepsia". Am J Gastroenterol. 100 (10): 2324–37. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.00225.x. PMID 16181387.
- ↑ Chey WD, Wong BC, Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology (2007). "American College of Gastroenterology guideline on the management of Helicobacter pylori infection". Am J Gastroenterol. 102 (8): 1808–25. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2007.01393.x. PMID 17608775.
- ↑ Thijs JC, van Zwet AA, Thijs WJ, Oey HB, Karrenbeld A, Stellaard F, Luijt DS, Meyer BC, Kleibeuker JH (1996). "Diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori: a prospective evaluation of their accuracy, without selecting a single test as the gold standard". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 91 (10): 2125–9. PMID 8855734.
- ↑ Lieberman D, Fennerty MB, Morris CD, Holub J, Eisen G, Sonnenberg A (2004). "Endoscopic evaluation of patients with dyspepsia: results from the national endoscopic data repository". Gastroenterology. 127 (4): 1067–75. PMID 15480985.
- ↑ Delaney B, Ford AC, Forman D, Moayyedi P, Qume M (2005). "Initial management strategies for dyspepsia". Cochrane Database Syst Rev (4): CD001961. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001961.pub2. PMID 16235292.
- ↑ Lieberman D, Fennerty MB, Morris CD, Holub J, Eisen G, Sonnenberg A (2004). "Endoscopic evaluation of patients with dyspepsia: results from the national endoscopic data repository". Gastroenterology. 127 (4): 1067–75. PMID 15480985.
- ↑ Marmo R, Rotondano G, Piscopo R, Bianco MA, Russo P, Capobianco P, Cipolletta L (2005). "Combination of age and sex improves the ability to predict upper gastrointestinal malignancy in patients with uncomplicated dyspepsia: a prospective multicentre database study". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 100 (4): 784–91. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.40085.x. PMID 15784019.
- ↑ Mamel JJ (1991). "Use of endoscopy in peptic ulcer disease". Med. Clin. North Am. 75 (4): 841–51. PMID 2072790.
- ↑ Korkmaz H, Kesli R, Karabagli P, Terzi Y (2013). "Comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of five different stool antigen tests for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection". Helicobacter. 18 (5): 384–91. doi:10.1111/hel.12053. PMID 23551920.
- ↑ Odaka T, Yamaguchi T, Koyama H, Saisho H, Nomura F (2002). "Evaluation of the Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test for monitoring eradication therapy". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 97 (3): 594–9. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2002.05535.x. PMID 11922552.
- ↑ Shimoyama T, Sawaya M, Ishiguro A, Hanabata N, Yoshimura T, Fukuda S (2011). "Applicability of a rapid stool antigen test, using monoclonal antibody to catalase, for the management of Helicobacter pylori infection". J. Gastroenterol. 46 (4): 487–91. doi:10.1007/s00535-011-0371-4. PMID 21264478.
- ↑ Erzin Y, Altun S, Dobrucali A, Aslan M, Erdamar S, Dirican A, Kocazeybek B (2005). "Evaluation of two enzyme immunoassays for detecting Helicobacter pylori in stool specimens of dyspeptic patients after eradication therapy". J. Med. Microbiol. 54 (Pt 9): 863–6. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.45914-0. PMID 16091438.
- ↑ Asfeldt AM, Løchen ML, Straume B, Steigen SE, Florholmen J, Goll R, Nestegard O, Paulssen EJ (2004). "Accuracy of a monoclonal antibody-based stool antigen test in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection". Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 39 (11): 1073–7. doi:10.1080/00365520410007944. PMID 15545164.
- ↑ Ramakrishnan K, Salinas RC (2007). "Peptic ulcer disease". Am Fam Physician. 76 (7): 1005–12. PMID 17956071.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Tomizawa M, Shinozaki F, Hasegawa R, Shirai Y, Motoyoshi Y, Sugiyama T, Yamamoto S, Ishige N (2015). "Laboratory test variables useful for distinguishing upper from lower gastrointestinal bleeding". World J. Gastroenterol. 21 (20): 6246–51. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i20.6246. PMC 4445101. PMID 26034359.
- ↑ Owensby S, Taylor K, Wilkins T (2015). "Diagnosis and management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in children". J Am Board Fam Med. 28 (1): 134–45. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2015.01.140153. PMID 25567834.
- ↑ Raju GS, Gerson L, Das A, Lewis B (2007). "American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute medical position statement on obscure gastrointestinal bleeding". Gastroenterology. 133 (5): 1694–6. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2007.06.008. PMID 17983811.
- ↑ Bull-Henry K, Al-Kawas FH (2013). "Evaluation of occult gastrointestinal bleeding". Am Fam Physician. 87 (6): 430–6. PMID 23547576.
- ↑ Tomizawa M, Shinozaki F, Hasegawa R, Shirai Y, Motoyoshi Y, Sugiyama T, Yamamoto S, Ishige N (2016). "Low hemoglobin levels are associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding". Biomed Rep. 5 (3): 349–352. doi:10.3892/br.2016.727. PMC 4998006. PMID 27588176.
- ↑ Wilkins T, Khan N, Nabh A, Schade RR (2012). "Diagnosis and management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding". Am Fam Physician. 85 (5): 469–76. PMID 22534226.