A time-saving-modified Giemsa stain is a better diagnostic method of Helicobacter pylori infection compared with the rapid urease test

Background Despite having chronic gastritis, most people infected by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are asymptomatic and have no specific clinical signs and symptoms. H. pylori infection can be diagnosed by several detection methods. Giemsa stain and rapid urease test (CLO test) are the most performed tests of H. pylori infection at first-line clinical examination because of their simplicity and reliability. However, the sensitivity of CLO test is significantly reduced in patients with atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, and the weaknesses of Giemsa stain are higher cost and time-consuming. Methods The Giemsa stain was modified in several staining solutions and procedures based on the simplified Giemsa technique described by Gray, Wyatt, & Rathbone (1986). The modified Giemsa stain is examined its efficacy and compared with the CLO test using 233 H. pylori-infected patients with gastric disease. Results The modified Giemsa stain is comparable to the traditional one. Statistical analysis indicated that the modified Giemsa stain obtains greater accuracy in H. pylori-infected patients with gastritis and ulcer than the CLO test (48.1% vs. 43.7%). Moreover, considering the prognosis of different symptoms of gastric diseases, the modified Giemsa stain has a more accurate prognosis than combination symptoms (P = 1.8E-05 vs. P = 5.49E-05). The modified Giemsa stain is confirmed to be better than CLO test using 233 H. pylori-infected patients with gastric disease. Conclusions The modified Giemsa stain is more simplified and time-saving than traditional Giemsa stain, which is comparable to the traditional one and is confirmed to be better than CLO test using 233 H. pylori-infected patients with gastric disease. In clinical examination, this modified Giemsa stain can be applied to routine examination and provides quick and accurate diagnosis and prognosis to H. pylori-infected patients with gastric diseases.