[Validation of the rapid urease test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori in a Peruvian hospital].

OBJECTIVE To validate a rapid urease test (RUT) in Cayetano Heredia Hospital (HCH) in Lima, Peru. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a prospective observational study that included 181 patients over 18 years old with dyspeptic symptoms. All of them underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at the Department of Gastroenterology at HCH. They had not received, during the last four weeks, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), bismuth or antibiotics. Two biopsies of antrum were taken, one to perform the TRU (Sensibacter pylori test®) and the other one for pathology, in order to determine by both methods the presence of H. pylori infection. TRU's results were compared with pathology ́s (gold standard). RESULTS 181 patients, average age 52.8±13.5 years, were evaluated. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV) at 20 minutes were 86.8%, 98.5%, 81.5% and 99% and at 24 hours 97.3%, 99.5%, 95.7% y 99.1% respectively. CONCLUSION The rapid urease test is a reliable, accessible and easy to apply test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.