What does hp positive mean

HP positive actually refers to Helicobacter pylori infection. Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacillus that poses a great threat to the health of the human digestive system. It often causes adverse effects and irritation to the gastric mucosa and causes chronic inflammation. Investigations have found that Helicobacter pylori is also an important cause of gastric cancer and related lymphoid tissue lymphomas.

Helicobacter pylori and related diseases

1. Hp and gastrointestinal diseases

It has been confirmed that Hp is closely related to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer, and MALT malignant lymphoma. The Hp infection rate in patients with chronic gastritis exceeds 90%. Hp colonizes in the gastric metaplastic epithelium in the duodenum, causing mucosal damage and leading to the formation of duodenal ulcers. WHO (World Health Organization) lists Hp as the first-level carcinogen for gastric cancer and believes that Hp infection is closely related to the occurrence of gastric cancer.

2. Hp and extra-gastrointestinal diseases

Hp is not only closely related to gastrointestinal diseases, but also to multiple system diseases, such as hepatobiliary diseases (hepatic hyperammonemia, fatty liver, chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis), nervous system diseases (cerebral infarction), cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia), blood system diseases (unexplained iron deficiency anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), etc.

treat

1. Currently, not all people infected with Helicobacter pylori require treatment. If there are no clinical symptoms, even if Hp is positive, there is no need to eliminate Hp. You can observe regularly and decide how to treat based on the doctor's advice.

2. Radical treatment is required if the following treatment indications are present: ① peptic ulcer; ② gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma; ③ HP-positive chronic gastritis with dyspepsia; ④ chronic gastritis with gastric mucosal atrophy or erosion; ⑤ early gastric tumor that has undergone endoscopic resection or surgical subtotal gastrectomy; ⑥ family history of gastric cancer; ⑦ plan to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (including low-dose aspirin) for a long time, etc.

3. So far, there is no single drug that can eradicate H. pylori, so it is recommended to use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in combination with antibiotics and bismuth. There are currently a variety of eradication options, including standard triple and quadruple therapy, concomitant therapy, sequential therapy, and mixed therapy.