Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities.

Abstract

Objective: We investigated the state of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) admitted to Tsudumigaura Medical Center for Children with Disabilities. Methods: The subjects were 77 patients with SMID (male: female = 52:25; median age = 27 years; range = 2-53 years) who were admitted to our center between September 2013 and March 2014. H. pylori antigens in the stool and serum H. pylori IgG antibodies were determined. Patients with positive results for either or both of the tests were defined as having H. pylori infection. Infected patients were treated with primary therapy of lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin. Results: Of 77 patients, 18 (23.4%) were antigen-positive, 33 (42.9%) were antibody-positive, and 35 (45.5%) were determined to have H.pylori infection. The infection rates of patients with tube feeding had significantly higher infection rates than those with oral feeding (60.7% vs. 36.7%; p < 0.05). Among patients under 19 years of age, patients with tube feeding had significantly higher infection rates than those with oral feeding (60% vs. 8.3%; p < 0.01). The primary therapies were successful in 60.0% of the infected patients. Conclusions: The H. pylori infection rate of patients with SMID in our hospital was high. In particular, the infection rates of patients with tube feeding were very high. The efficacy of the primary therapy was not sufficient.