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Article: Many peptic ulcer diagnoses based on symptoms alone.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- AORN Journal
- Article date:
- August 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Many patients being treated with acid suppression medications for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) have been diagnosed based on their symptoms alone and have not had the diagnosis confirmed by an x-ray or endoscopy, according to a May 27, 2003, news release from Kaiser Permanente. In a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of testing and treating patients for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) bacteria infection, researchers found that of 650 patients diagnosed with PUD, only 17% had undergone x-ray or endoscopy to document the disease, and fewer than 40% tested positive for Hp. All of the patients were taking acid suppression medication, and 28% had taken these medications for six ...