Ulcers

Please Take Over This Page and Apply to be Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [1] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.

Overview

WikiDoc Resources for Ulcers
Articles
Most recent articles on Ulcers Most cited articles on Ulcers Review articles on Ulcers Articles on Ulcers in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Ulcers Images of Ulcers Photos of Ulcers Podcasts & MP3s on Ulcers Videos on Ulcers
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Ulcers Bandolier on Ulcers TRIP on Ulcers
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Ulcers at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Ulcers Clinical Trials on Ulcers at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Ulcers NICE Guidance on Ulcers NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Ulcers CDC on Ulcers
Books
Books on Ulcers
News
Ulcers in the news Be alerted to news on Ulcers News trends on Ulcers
Commentary
Blogs on Ulcers
Definitions
Definitions of Ulcers
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Ulcers Discussion groups on Ulcers Patient Handouts on Ulcers Directions to Hospitals Treating Ulcers Risk calculators and risk factors for Ulcers
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Ulcers Causes & Risk Factors for Ulcers Diagnostic studies for Ulcers Treatment of Ulcers
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Ulcers
International
Ulcers en Espanol Ulcers en Francais
Business
Ulcers in the Marketplace Patents on Ulcers
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Ulcers

• Most ulcers are caused by an infection, not spicy food, acid or stress.

• The most common ulcer symptom is burning pain in the stomach.

• Your doctor can test you for H. pylori infection.

• Antibiotics are the new cure for ulcers.

• Eliminating H. pylori infections with antibiotics means that your ulcer can be cured for good.

Also known as:

Peptic Ulcer Disease

References

http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/

Epidemiology and Demographics

Approximately two-thirds of the world's population is infected with H. pylori. In the United States, H. pylori is more prevalent among older adults, African Americans, Hispanics, and lower socioeconomic groups.

Approximately 25 million Americans suffer from peptic ulcer disease at some point in their lifetime. Each year there are 500,000 to 850,000 new cases of peptic ulcer disease and more than one million ulcer-related hospitalizations.

References

http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/keytocure.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/keytocure.htm

Pathophysiology & Etiology

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral-shaped bacterium that is found in the gastric mucous layer or adherent to the epithelial lining of the stomach. H. pylori causes more than 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers. Before 1982, when this bacterium was discovered, spicy food, acid, stress, and lifestyle were considered the major causes of ulcers. The majority of patients were given long-term medications, such as H2 blockers, and more recently, proton pump inhibitors, without a chance for permanent cure. These medications relieve ulcer-related symptoms, heal gastric mucosal inflammation, and may heal the ulcer, but they do NOT treat the infection. When acid suppression is removed, the majority of ulcers, particularly those caused by H. pylori, recur. Since we now know that most ulcers are caused by H. pylori, appropriate antibiotic regimens can successfully eradicate the infection in most patients, with complete resolution of mucosal inflammation and a minimal chance for recurrence of ulcers.

References

http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/keytocure.htm

History and Symptoms

The most common ulcer symptom is gnawing or burning pain in the epigastrium. This pain typically occurs when the stomach is empty, between meals and in the early morning hours, but it can also occur at other times. It may last from minutes to hours and may be relieved by eating or by taking antacids. Less common ulcer symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Bleeding can also occur; prolonged bleeding may cause anemia leading to weakness and fatigue. If bleeding is heavy, hematemesis, hematochezia, or melena may occur.

References

http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/keytocure.htm

Acknowledgements

The content on this page was first contributed by: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D.

Template:SIB