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Achlorhydria



Achlorhydria
Classification & external resources
Hydrogen chloride (major component of gastric acid)
ICD-10 K31.8
ICD-9 536.0
DiseasesDB 29513
eMedicine med/18 
MeSH D000126

Achlorhydria and hypochlorhydria refer to states where gastric acid levels are either absent or low in the stomach.

Contents

Causes

Diagnosis

90% of all patients with achlorhydria have detectable antibodies against the H+/K+ ATP-ase proton pump. The diagnosis is made if the gastric pH remains high (>4.0) despite maximum pentagastrin stimulation. High gastrin levels are often detected.

Presentation

Achlorhydria and hypochlorhydria may lead to microbial overgrowth since the disinfectant qualities of gastric acid are diminished. This can increase the risk of infections in the digestive tract (such as Vibrio or Helicobacter infections).

Treatment

Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause, injection of vitamins like vitamin B12 (which is poorly absorbed in the absence of intrinsic factor) in autoimmune disorders, and avoiding foods that may have a high microbial load.

See also

  • Hyperchlorhydria
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Achlorhydria". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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