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Helicobacter pylori: Update on Disease, Diagnosis and Discouraging Trends

 

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide, with infection rates upwards of 50% of the human population.  While most of these infections are asymptomatic, a significant number of patients will develop severe disease due to this bacterial pathogen, including serious life threatening gastric cancers. The testing strategy for Helicobacter pylori will be reviewed, with particular focus on the non-invasive mechanisms of testing that are central to the clinical pathology laboratory and consistent with guidelines issues by multiple professional organizations. Finally, challenges related to proper test utilization and treatment failures will be discussed.

Originally presented on August 12, 2016, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lecture Presenter

Marc Roger Couturier, PhD, D(ABMM)

Marc Roger Couturier, PhD, D(ABMM)

Medical Director, Microbial Immunology
ARUP Laboratories
Medical Director, Parasitology and Fecal Testing
ARUP Laboratories
Medical Director, Infectious Disease Rapid Testing
ARUP Laboratories
Associate Professor of Pathology
University of Utah School of Medicine

Dr. Couturier is an associate professor of pathology at the University Of Utah School of Medicine. He received his PhD in medical microbiology and immunology with a specialty in bacteriology from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Dr. Couturier served as a research associate/post-doctoral fellow at the Alberta Provincial Laboratory for Public Health and completed a medical microbiology fellowship (ABMM) at the University of Utah. His research interests include Helicobacter pylori diagnostics and population prevalence, in particular identifying populations with increased risk of infection and reduced access to medical care. Dr. Couturier also has a research focus aimed at developing improved diagnostics for emerging agents of infectious gastroenteritis. He is board certified in medical microbiology, and a member of the American Society for Microbiology and Infectious Disease Society of America.

Objectives

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

  • Explore the pathogenesis, epidemiology, and diseases associated with H. pylori.
  • Review the available and recommended testing strategies for diagnosing disease.
  • Gain an appreciation for challenges related to proper ordering practices and treatment failure.

Sponsored by:

University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, and ARUP Laboratories