TY - JOUR T1 - SCreening for helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in medicare patients hospitalized with peptic ulcer disease AU - Hood HM, Wark C, Burgess PA, Nicewander D, Scott MW Y1 - 1999/01/25 N1 - 10.1001/archinte.159.2.149 JO - Archives of Internal Medicine SP - 149 EP - 154 VL - 159 IS - 2 N2 - Background  Peptic ulcer disease has well-defined causes, with most cases related to Helicobacter pylori infection and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.Objectives  To report performance rates on measures of care related to peptic ulcer disease in hospitalized Medicare patients and to identify improvement opportunities.Methods  Retrospective study of 2267 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with peptic ulcer disease. Data were obtained from 2 sources: medical records (n=1580) from 80 hospitals—16 hospitals in each of 5 states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas)—and a national random sample (n=687). Three measures of care were evaluated: (1) rate of diagnostic screening or treatment for H pylori infection, (2) rate of screening for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use on admission to the hospital, and (3) rate of assessment of risk factors for recurrence.Results  The rate of screening or treatment for H pylori infection was 52.9% to 59.8% among the 5 states and 55.6% in the national random sample. The rate of screening for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use was 64.6% to 75.4% among the states and 73.4% in the national random sample. The rate of assessment at discharge from the hospital for additional risks for ulcer recurrence was 66.1% to 73.6% among the states and 70.9% in the national random sample.Conclusions  Based on hospital records, slightly more than half of the Medicare patients admitted with diagnoses studied are being considered for H pylori eradication. If recurrence of this disease is to be reduced, physicians must adopt current screening and treatment recommendations. SN - 0003-9926 M3 - doi: 10.1001/archinte.159.2.149 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.159.2.149 ER -