A SYSTEMATIC OVERVIEW (METAANALYSIS) OF OUTCOME MEASURES IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI GASTRITIS TRIALS AND FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA

Study aim: To critically appraise the use of outcome measures in treat ment trials of Helicobacter pylori positive non-ulcer dyspepsia patien ts. Methods: Meta-analysis of published randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials. Results: Significant methodological problems were det ected in all seven retrieved studies. There is marked variation in mea surement of: symptoms, scales used to assess severity of dyspepsia, us e of global assessments and methods used to determine whether a change occurred in symptom severity. Conclusion: Much more attention needs t o be paid to outcome measures in nonulcer dyspepsia trials and consens us on this should be reached by investigators in this area.