Background 

Antibiotic treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in active peptic ulcer disease has been demonstrated to speed ulcer healing, reduce the risk of rebleeding, and prevent long-term recurrence.

The objective of this study was to determine whether Medicare patients with peptic ulcer disease who are admitted to acute care hospitals are being tested or treated for H pylori infection as recommended by a National Institutes of Health consensus panel.

Methods 

The study was designed as a retrospective medical records survey.

From the Medicare National Claims History File, all persons 65 years and older admitted to California fee-for-service hospitals for peptic ulcer disease in 1994 were identified.

A random sample of 600 claims was selected for review.

After exclusions, 524 patients were eligible for study.

The main outcome measures were (1) the proportion of patients who were tested for Hpylori infection by 1 of the 5 available methods (histopathologic study, urease assay, microbiologic culture, serum antibody testing, or urea breath test) and (2) the proportion who were treated with antibiotics (amoxicillin, tetracycline, clarithromycin, or metronidazole) for H pylori infection.

Results 

Thirty-nine percent of patients with peptic ulcer disease were tested for H pylori infection and 3% were treated empirically.

Only 47% of the patients who had a positive diagnostic test result for H pylori were treated with antibiotics. (...)