Frecuencia de la intolerancia a la lactosa y sindrome de sobrecrecimiento bacteriano en pacientes con dispepsia sin signos de alarma en el Centro de Especialidades en Gastroenterología González de la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador de febrero del 2019 a febrero del 2020

Abstract

Background: Due to the frequency of consulting patients with dyspeptic symptoms without warning signs, as well as the challenge of determining an etiology for this condition, the diagnosis of causes that have a high prevalence such as lactose intolerance (LI) and intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SIBO) is imperative. Thus, the expired H2 test appears to be the most practical and accessible method, having been validated in numerous international studies. Objective: To establish the frequency of LI and SIBO in patients with dyspepsia at the Center for Gastroenterological Specialties González, in Cuenca, Ecuador. Methodology: Descriptive, quantitative, non-experimental and cross-sectional study in patients with dyspeptic symptoms registered in February 2019 and February 2020. The patient database was used, including all the medical records that met the selection criteria. . The data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the use of the statistical program SPSS. Results: The sample consisted of 310 individuals, with an average age of 50 ± 17 years. LI was diagnosed in 29.03% of the sample and SIBO in a 20.32%. Borborygmi (46.1%) and flatulence (42.6%) were the most frequent dyspeptic symptoms. The expired H2 test for the diagnosis of LI had a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 37%, while for the diagnosis of SIBO it had a sensitivity of 58% and a specificity of 45%. Conclusions: LI and SIBO were frequent gastrointestinal conditions in the sample. The expired H2 test presented acceptable sensitivity and specificity coefficients for the diagnosis of both entities.