Helicobacter pylori, gastroduodenal disease, and recurrent abdominal pain in children

Article Abstract:

Helicobacter (H.) pylori infection may be associated with some stomach disorders in children, although a evidence for a causal relationship is weak. H. pylori infection is a bacterial infection that appears to cause ulcers in adults. Researchers reviewed 45 studies examining the role H. pylori infection in children plays in antral gastritis (stomach inflammation), peptic ulcer and recurrent abdominal pain. Reports showed an association between H. pylori infection and antral gastritis in children. However, treatment trials demonstrating improvement in gastritis with antibiotic therapy may not be definitive because none compared the drug therapy with placebo. H. pylori infection was strongly associated with duodenal ulcers in children and less so with stomach ulcers. Evidence for an association with recurrent abdominal pain was inconsistent. Further studies, including placebo-controlled treatment trials, should be conducted to aid treatment decisions concerning these stomach disorders in children.

Complications and side effects, Gastritis, Abdominal pain in children, Pediatric abdominal pain

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Helicobacter pylori: the etiologic agent for peptic ulcer

Article Abstract:

Infection with Helicobacter pylori is the major cause of peptic ulcer disease and appears to be a risk factor gastric cancer. Most physicians believed that peptic ulcers were caused by stress and environmental factors, such as smoking, as recently as the mid-1980s. The development of a number of therapies, most involving bismuth in combination with antibiotics, aimed at stopping the growth of H. pylori have been found to be almost 100% effective at eradicating peptic ulcers and preventing their recurrence under normal conditions. H. pylori is common in many regions of the world, and most people infected will not develop ulcers. It is likely that the gastritis associated with H pylori is a risk factor for gastric cancer. New tests for H pylori make screening simple and cheap, and have raised questions about the need to treat H pylori-infected people who are showing no signs of peptic ulcers or cancer as a preventative measure.

Health aspects, Risk factors, Helicobacter pylori, Stomach cancer

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Over-the-counter cold medications: a critical review of clinical trials between 1950 and 1991

Article Abstract:

There are more than 800 over-the-counter cold medications available in the US, but research on their effectiveness, especially among children, is limited. In a review of 51 studies on non-prescription cold remedies, only four studies were on children and the rest were on adolescents and adults. Two studies of preschool children found that antihistamines and combination antihistamine/decongestant medications had no effect on cold symptoms. Two studies on older children found that combination medications significantly reduced cough, sore throat and ache. Studies on adults found that the antihistamine chlorpheniramine, which dries mucous membranes, reduced sneezing and the amount of nasal mucus. The decongestant pseudoephedrine was found to dramatically reduce congestion and sneezing. The one study on expectorants found that guaifenesin did not reduce cough frequency. Combination drugs were also found to reduce cold symptoms.

Evaluation, Drug therapy, Cold (Disease), Common cold, Nonprescription drugs, Cold (Disease) in children, Children's colds

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