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.