After a decade of Helicobacter pylori in The Netherlands. A survey of the practice of the members of the Dutch Society of Gastroenterology.

BACKGROUND

Knowledge of Helicobacter pylori infection has grown rapidly during the last decade and management of its associated pathology has changed concordantly.

METHODS

We surveyed the management of H. pylori infection among members of the Dutch Society of Gastroenterology in 1995 via a postal questionnaire.

RESULTS

Almost all 226 respondents (response rate 54%) treated patients for H. pylori infection and the responses suggested that at least 0.1% of Dutch citizens were treated for H. pylori infection in 1995 by this group of specialists. 98% of the respondents treated the H. pylori infection in patients with duodenal ulcer, 91% in cases of gastric ulcer, 56% in cases of gastric lymphoma, 33% in cases of premalignant changes in gastric mucosal histology, 32% in cases of non-ulcer dyspepsia, and 30% in cases of chronic use of proton pump inhibitors. The main diagnostic methods used were histology (93%), urease test (60%), and culture (46%). Triple therapy was most commonly used (54%), followed by quadruple therapy (26%) and double therapy (13%). Follow-up detection of H. pylori was routinely done by 42% of the respondents, while 48% did so only when confirmation of eradication was considered clinically relevant. Most specialists did follow-up detection after 8-12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

In 1995 most Dutch specialists treated H. pylori in patients with associated ulcer disease. There was no consensus on its role in other diseases. Diagnostic methods and treatment regimens for eradication differed widely.