Prevalence of Immunoglobulin G to Helicobacter pylori Among Endoscopy Nurses/Technicians
- 1 January 1999
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Gastroenterology Nursing
- Vol. 22 (1), 3-6
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00001610-199901000-00002
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) seropositivity among gastroenterology nurses and technicians with that of the general population. Nurses attending the 1996 Indiana Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates Spring and Fall Education Courses were asked to complete a checklist regarding employment, current symptoms, and use of universal precautions, and to have 3 ml blood drawn. These 138 blood specimens as well as 112 serum samples from generally age- and sex-matched blood donors (representing the general population) underwent qualitative HP antibody testing. Results showed that the prevalence of seropositivity for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody for HP among the gastroenterology nurses and technicians was 19 of 138 (13.8%), which was less than that of the blood donor control group, whose seropositivity was 20 of 112 (17.9%). However, this difference failed to reach statistical significance. Seropositivity tended to increase with age, but there was no association between clinical symptomatology and seropositivity. Likewise, there was no difference in seropositivity between nurses assisting with endoscopic procedures for more than 10 years and those assisting for less than 10 years. Although the differences were not significant, these findings refute those of an earlier study in which the researchers found 122 gastroendoscopists and endoscopy nurses significantly more likely to be positive for HP antibodies. Therefore, the findings reported here provide important information.Keywords
This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- Helicobacter pyloriArchives of Internal Medicine, 1994
- Association of Infection Due to Helicobacter pylori with Specific Upper Gastrointestinal PathologyClinical Infectious Diseases, 1991
- Association of Helicobacter pylori with gastritis and peptic ulcer diseasesYonsei Medical Journal, 1991
- Transmission of Helicobacter pylori Infection Studies in Families of Healthy IndividualsScandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 1991
- Increased Incidence ofCampylobacter pyloriInfection in Gastroenterologists: Further Evidence to Support Person-to-Person Transmission ofC. pyloriScandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 1989
- UNIDENTIFIED CURVED BACILLI IN THE STOMACH OF PATIENTS WITH GASTRITIS AND PEPTIC ULCERATIONThe Lancet, 1984
- The presence of spirochetes in human gastric mucosaDigestive Diseases and Sciences, 1940
- Spirochetes in Gastric Glands of Macacus rhesus and Humans without Definite History of Related DiseaseExperimental Biology and Medicine, 1938