Tests
The laboratory diagnosis of H. pylori as the likely cause of a peptic ulcer can be made using a number of methods and specimen types. The most common laboratory test is a blood test for antibodies to H. pylori. A positive result means you have been infected with H pylori at some time. A stool sample may be collected to look for the H. pylori antigen. A positive result indicates current infection. This test is inappropriate for if there is blood in the stool. A breath test that detects the enzyme activity of H. pylori is available, and a positive result also indicates current infection.
If x-rays of the upper GI tract have shown the presence of an ulcer and the blood, stool and/or breath tests are negative an invasive procedure, endoscopy, may be used to detect H pylori. A tiny camera on the end of a thin tube is fed through the mouth, down the oesophagus to the duodenum and tissue removed (a biopsy) to be examined in the lab for H. pylori.
Peptic ulcers are rarely fatal, but they can be very serious if they go through the stomach or duodenal wall (perforation), break a blood vessel (haemorrhage), or block food leaving the stomach (obstruction).
Treatment usually involves antibiotics to kill the bacteria and drugs to reduce the amount of stomach acid produced.