Clinical characteristics of peptic ulcer perforation in Korea

AIM To elucidate the epidemiological characteristics and associated risk factors of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who were diagnosed with benign PPU from 2010 through 2015 at 6 Hallym university-affiliated hospitals. RESULTS A total of 396 patients were identified with postoperative complication rate of 9.1% and mortality rate of 0.8%. Among 174 (43.9%) patients who were examined for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, 78 (44.8%) patients were positive for H. pylori infection, 21 (12.1%) were on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) therapy, and 80 (46%) patients were neither infected of H. pylori nor treated by any kinds of NSAIDs. Multivariate analysis indicated that older age (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.16) and comorbidity (OR = 4.11, 95% CI: 1.03-16.48) were risk factors for NSAID-associated PPU compared with non-H. pylori, non-NSAID associated PPU and older age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07) and alcohol consumption (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.05-4.13) were risk factors for non-H. pylori, non-NSAID associated PPU compared with solely H. pylori positive PPU. CONCLUSION Elderly patients with comorbidities are associated with NSAIDs-associated PPU. Non-H. pylori, non-NSAID peptic ulcer is important etiology of PPU and alcohol consumption is associated risk factor. pylori al