Parents of a child undergoing an endoscopy to rule out peptic ulcer disease (PUD) from H. pylori ask the nurse, "If H. pylori is found, will my child need another endoscopy to know that it is gone?" Which is the nurse's best response?
A) "Yes, the only way to know the H. pylori has been eradicated is with another endoscopy."
B) "We can collect a stool sample and confirm that the H. pylori has been eradicated."
C) "A blood test can be done to determine that the H. pylori is no longer present."
D) "Your child will always test positive for H. pylori because after treatment it goes into remission but can't be completely eradicated."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An upper endoscopy is the procedure initially performed to diagnose PUD. A biopsy can determine the presence of H. pylori. Polyclonal and monoclonal stool antigen tests are an accurate, noninvasive method to confirm H. pylori has been eradicated after treatment. A blood test can identify the presence of the antigen to this organism, but because H. pylori was already present, it would not be as accurate as a stool sample to determine whether it has been eradicated. H. pylori can be treated and, once the treatment is complete, the stool sample can determine that it was eradicated.

Parents of a Child Undergoing an Endoscopy to Rule Out