Drex, Statdoc, and other docs in the house...
 

I haved a question for you doctors on this board. My wife (Sophie) has the H. Pylori bacteria that was responsible for causing the pain a few days ago. She is now taking meds (darn expensive) and I would like to know how easy it is for my little baby girl and myself to contract this bacteria from her?

Thanks for your advice, docs!

Although H. pylori infection is definitely a major known cause of gastritis and ulcer disease, the transmission from one to another is not nearly as well understood. I honestly wouldn't worry about it within the family, however. Especially now that she is being treated.

yes, statdoc is correct. h pylori is a 'personal' thing, in that the acquisition of the bacteria is a phenomenon that is yet to be elucidated.

even stranger, is that once treated, it doesn't seem to come back...

it is not life threatening per se to either yourself or your daughter, but could cause a gastritis that is resistant to standard H2 therapy.

my only concern from your description (as a surgeon) is that she had a rather atypical acute presentation of h pylori -- sounded almost like an acute gallbladder or perforated peptic ulcer... having an elevated WBC and RUQ/mid epigastric pain of sudden onset is not typical of hpylori infection. this is something that is normally discovered in individuals who are not responsive to treatment for acid reflux or gastritis/PUD using standard H2 therapy...

(by this i mean h pylori)=EDIT

You guys are awesome.

Reminds me of the concept from test-taking-- "True, True, but unrelated".

She could have H. pylori gastritis (or asymptomatic infection, not yet developed into gastritis/peptic ulcer), and still have gallbladder dysfunction or other problems.

What I am saying is that I certainly hope the treatment for gastritis is all she needs. Doctors, like anyone else being a "detective", have to guard against falling for the obvious answer, and missing the true source of the problem. Drex, in trauma, you know the concept as "distracting injury"! It can distract the doctor as much as the patient!

I am not awesome. I just "play awesome" on the internet.

I might not even really be a doctor. Maybe just some fool who knows how to Google! :p

Statdoc and Drex, thanks very much for the quick responses. I was confused because my dad-in-law wants me to do a blood test while my own dad thinks it's not necessary. Both are GPs. Again thanks Docs!! :)

Fantastic response!

Man! you got too many docs around you. Good luck!

Good and bad. :)