Diagnostic Tests for Peptic Ulcer
Peptic Ulcer: Diagnostic Tests
The list of diagnostic tests
mentioned in various sources as
used in the diagnosis of Peptic Ulcer
includes:
- Gastroscopy
- Endoscopy
- Upper gastrointestinal (GI) series
- Barium meal x-ray
- Blood H pylori test
- Breath H pylori test
- Helicobacter pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test
- Stomach biopsy
- Tissue H pylori test
Peptic Ulcer Tests: Book Excerpts
Home Diagnostic Testing
These home medical tests may be relevant to Peptic Ulcer:
- Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing
- Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
- Digestive-Related Home Testing:
Peptic Ulcer Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Tests and diagnosis discussion for Peptic Ulcer:
To see whether symptoms are caused by an
ulcer, the doctor may do an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series or an
endoscopy. An upper GI series is an x ray of the esophagus, stomach, and
duodenum. The patient drinks a chalky liquid called barium to make these
organs and any ulcers show up more clearly on the x ray.
An
endoscopy is an exam that uses an endoscope, a thin, lighted tube with a
tiny camera on the end. The patient is lightly sedated, and the doctor
carefully eases the endoscope into the mouth and down the throat to the
stomach and duodenum. This allows the doctor to see the lining of the
esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. The doctor can use the endoscope to take
photos of ulcers or remove a tiny piece of tissue to view under a
microscope.
Diagnosing H. pylori
If an ulcer is found, the doctor will
test the patient for
H. pylori. This test is important because
treatment for an ulcer caused by
H. pylori is different from that
for an ulcer caused by NSAIDs.
H. pylori is diagnosed
through blood, breath, stool, and tissue tests. Blood tests are most
common. They detect antibodies to
H. pylori bacteria. Blood is
taken at the doctor's office through a finger stick.
Urea breath
tests are mainly used after treatment to see whether it worked, but they
can be used in diagnosis too. In the doctor's office, the patient drinks a
urea solution that contains a special carbon atom. If
H. pylori is
present, it breaks down the urea, releasing the carbon. The blood carries
the carbon to the lungs, where the patient exhales it. The breath test is
96 percent to 98 percent accurate.
Stool tests may be used to
detect
H. pylori infection in the patient's fecal matter. Studies
have shown that the test, called the
Helicobacter pylori stool
antigen (HpSA) test, is accurate for diagnosing
H.
pylori.
Tissue tests are usually done using the biopsy sample
that is removed with the endoscope. There are three types:
- The rapid urease test detects the enzyme urease, which is produced
by H. pylori.
- A histology test allows the doctor to find and examine the actual
bacteria.
- A culture test involves allowing H. pylori to grow in the
tissue sample.
In diagnosing
H. pylori, blood, breath,
and stool tests are often done before tissue tests because they are less
invasive. However, blood tests are not used to detect
H. pylori
following treatment because a patient's blood can show positive results
even after
H. pylori has been eliminated. (Source: excerpt from
H_ pylori and Peptic Ulcer: NIDDK)
Diagnosis of Peptic Ulcer: medical news summaries:
The following medical news items
are relevant to diagnosis of Peptic Ulcer:
Diagnostic Tests for Peptic Ulcer: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the diagnostic tests for Peptic Ulcer.
Dyspepsia:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If the patient complains of dyspepsia, begin by asking him to describe it in detail. How often and when does it occur, specifically in relation to meals? Do drugs or activities relieve or aggravate it? Has he had nausea, vomiting, melena, hematemesis, a cough, or chest pain? Ask if he's taking prescription drugs and if he has recently had surgery. Does he have a history of renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease? Has he noticed a change in the amount or color of his urine?
Ask the patient if he's experiencing an unusual or overwhelming amount of emotional stress. Determine the patient's coping mechanisms and their effectiveness.
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Ask about behavior changes, and evaluate the patient's level of consciousness. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of the lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Dyspepsia:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If the patient complains of dyspepsia, begin by asking him to describe it in detail. How often and when does it occur, specifically in relation to meals? Do any drugs or activities relieve or aggravate it? Has the patient had nausea, vomiting, melena, hematemesis, cough, or chest pain? Ask if he’s taking any prescription drugs and if he has recently had surgery. Does he have a history of renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease? Has he noticed any change in the amount or color of his urine?
Ask the patient if he’s experiencing an unusual or overwhelming amount of emotional stress. Determine the patient’s coping mechanisms and their effectiveness.
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect it for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate it for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting any tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Ask about behavior changes, and evaluate level of consciousness. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Dyspepsia:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting any tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Dyspepsia:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If the patient complains of dyspepsia, begin by asking him to describe it in detail. How often and when does it occur, specifically in relation to meals? Do drugs or activities relieve or aggravate it? Has he had nausea, vomiting, melena, hematemesis, a cough, or chest pain? Ask if he's taking prescription drugs and if he has recently had surgery. Does he have a history of renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease? Has he noticed a change in the amount or color of his urine?
Ask the patient if he's experiencing an unusual or overwhelming amount of emotional stress. Determine the patient's coping mechanisms and their effectiveness.
Focus the physical examination on the abdomen. Inspect for distention, ascites, scars, obvious hernias, jaundice, uremic frost, and bruising. Then auscultate for bowel sounds and characterize their motility. Palpate and percuss the abdomen, noting tenderness, pain, organ enlargement, or tympany.
Finally, examine other body systems. Ask about behavior changes, and evaluate the patient's level of consciousness. Auscultate for gallops and crackles. Percuss the lungs to detect consolidation. Note peripheral edema and any swelling of the lymph nodes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
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