Clinical characteristics of peptic ulcer perforation in Korea

Table 3 Comparison of clinical characteristics of perforated peptic ulcer according to age n (%)

Variables	< 60 yr	≥ 60 yr	P value
	(n = 275)	(n = 121)
Sex (men)	260 (94.5)	77 (63.6)	< 0.001
BMI (kg/m2)	21.8 ± 2.7	21.5 ± 3.4	0.33
Alcohol consumption	154 (56.0)	33 (27.3)	< 0.001
Current smoking	172 (62.5)	49 (40.5)	< 0.001
Previous ulcer history	31 (11.3)	23 (19.0)	0.04
Comorbidity	41 (14.9)	82 (67.8)	< 0.001
Current medication
NSAIDs	8 (2.9)	36 (30.0)	< 0.001
Steroid	4 (1.5)	4 (3.3)	0.26
Proton pump inhibitor	9 (3.3)	10 (8.3)	0.04
H2-blocker	5 (1.8)	7 (5.8)	0.05
H. pylori test
Positivity H. pylori test	67/133 (50.4)	11/41 (26.8)	0.008
Rapid urease test	52 (77.6)	8 (72.7)
Urea breath test	4 (6.0)	1 (9.1)
Serology test	11 (16.8)	2 (18.2)
Anatomical findings
Location			0.490
Gastric ulcer	117 (42.5)	56 (46.3)
Duodenal ulcer	158 (57.5)	65 (53.7)
Size			< 0.001
≥ 1 cm	73 (31.1)	53 (53.0)
< 1 cm	162 (68.9)	47 (47.0)
Clinical course
Hospital stay	11.3 ± 7.7	17.0 ± 11.7	< 0.001
Complication	11 (4.0)	25 (20.7)	< 0.001
In hospital mortality	0 (0.0)	3 (2.5)	0.009

PPU: Perforated peptic ulcer; BMI: Body mass index; NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori.