Peptic Ulcer Disease
Gastrointestinal/Nutrition · ~8% of blueprint- Pathophysiology
- Mucosal defect from H. pylori or NSAIDs disrupting the protective barrier → acid injury.
- Signs & Symptoms
- Epigastric pain — gastric ulcer 15–30 min after a meal, duodenal 2–3 h after a meal (classically eased by food); ± bleeding.
- Gold Standard Diagnosis
- EGD with biopsy; test for H. pylori (urea breath test or stool antigen).
- First-line Treatment
- Stop NSAIDs; eradicate H. pylori — bismuth quadruple therapy for 14 days is preferred empirically.
High-Yield Pearl
Timing tells them apart: gastric ulcer pain 15–30 min after eating; duodenal 2–3 h after a meal, classically relieved by food.
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Sources
Reviewed September 2026- ACG Clinical Guideline: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection — American College of Gastroenterology, 2024
- StatPearls: Peptic Ulcer Disease — StatPearls Publishing, 2026
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