urpose: Evaluation of the role of helicobacter pylori infection on gastrointestinal system hemorrage following cardiac valve replacement surgery in group of patients who are taking anticoagulant therapy. Methods: Helicobacter pylori antibody was tested in 108 patient, who had undergone mechanic cardiac valve replacement surgery and been taking anticoagulant therapy between the dates of February-1996 and February-1998 at Akdeniz University, faculty of medicine , clinics of cardiovascular surgery. In preoperative tests of the patients operated after january-98, helicobacter pylori antibody was found positive in 8 out of 40 patients(group 1).The combination therapy were given in two weeks of period consisting omeprazol 40 mg/day, clarythromycin 1500 mg/day and amoxicillin 1500 mg/day. In retrospectively evaluated another 40 patient group (group 2) who had been operated before January-1998, a positive helicobacter pylori antibody were found in 9 out of 40. Blood specimen were taken to rule out the helicobacter infection and the Rapid Helical Test which is an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay was applied. Results: In group one no upper gastrointestinal system hemorrage were seen in any of the patients.In group two, semptomatic upper gastrointestinal hemorrage occured in 4 out of 9 patient who were previosly found positive for helicobacter pylori.Out of these 4 patients; three had upper gastrointestinal hemorrage requiring blood transfusion in one month period postoperatively ,and the other one patient had hemorrage after eight months postoperatively without the need of transfusion, respectively. Statistically meaningfull differences were notified between the two groups of patients considering the gastrointestinal hemorrage (p<0,05).It was also signified that positivity of Rapid Helical Test is increased with age. And no correlation were seen between the sex, prothrombin time, valve position and the upper gastrointestinal system hemorrage.(p>0,05). None of the patients , in both group, who were undergone this study, has been lost. Result: As a result, it was concluded that,correlation between helicobacter pylori infection and the gastrointestinal system hemorrage is stronger in the presence of anticoagulant therapy.

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