Leveraging the Multidimensional Poverty Index to estimate Helicobacter pylori prevalence in districts in Karnataka, India.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in India is approximately 64%. However, substantial regional variations necessitate high-fidelity, locality-specific studies to characterise its population distribution in India. We conducted a cross-sectional study including 2998 dyspeptic patients at a tertiary care centre in Karnataka and investigated the relationship between Hp prevalence and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) by district. Helicobacter pylori prevalence in our population was 43.2% with a significant correlation between district-specific Hp prevalence and MPI. This data can be leveraged for evaluating local Hp infection control strategies, planning interventions for Hp hotspots in Karnataka and predicting a dyspeptic patient's risk of Hp infection.

An Anterior Abdominal Abscess as the Initial Presentation of a Perforated Duodenal Ulcer: A Case Report.

Duodenal perforation most commonly presents with life-threatening symptoms of acute abdomen. However, in rare cases, a perforation may have an indolent course due to subclinical progression, and the patient may present with complications at the first visit. We present a case of an anterior abdominal abscess as the initial presentation of a duodenal perforation in a 65-year-old female with no pre-morbidities. The patient presented with a painful mass in the right upper quadrant associated with fever. Physical examination revealed a tender, erythematous swelling in the right hypochondrium and lumbar regions with no signs of peritonitis. Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) of the abdomen showed a subcapsular hepatic abscess with parietal extension, but no signs of hollow viscus perforation were visible. Empirical antibiotics were given, and incision and drainage (I&D) were performed to drain around 100 mL of pus. However, drain on postop day one demonstrated bile suggesting a hollow viscus perforation, which was confirmed by a Gastrografin study.