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 rapid ly during the last decade and management of its associated pathology h as changed concordantly. Methods: We surveyed the management of H. pyl ori infection among members of the Dutch Society of Gastroenterology i n 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 t he respondents treated the H. pylori infection in patients with duoden al ulcer, 91% in cases of gastric ulcer, 56% in cases of gastric lymph oma, 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 hist ology (93%), urease test (60%), and culture (46%). Triple therapy was most commonly used (54%), followed by quadruple therapy (26%) and doub le 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 f ollow-up detection after 8-12 weeks. Conclusions: In 1995 most Dutch s pecialists treated H. pylori in patients with associated ulcer disease . There was no consensus on its role in other diseases. Diagnostic met hods and treatment regimens for eradication differed widely.