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The two most common causes of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) are Helicobacter pylori infection and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Now, investigators in the U.S. have performed a retrospective, case-control study to examine the interaction of these causal factors, the risk factors for bleeding PUD, and the cost-effectiveness of various H. pylori tests.
Case patients were identified from the records of a community hospital network during a period of 18 months. Chart reviews were performed on 128 patients with clinical or endoscopic evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding. The records of 102 patients with PUD, but without evidence of GI bleeding, were reviewed as controls. Patients receiving cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors were excluded f…