To investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection among upper gastrointestinal ulcer patients in Lhasa and its relationship with clinical presentation and prognosis.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 237 upper gastrointestinal ulcer patients treated at the People's Hospital of Lhasa City to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection. The differences in clinical presentation between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative patients were compared. In 169 H. pylori-positive patients, eradication therapy was performed, and the H. pylori eradication rate and ulcer recurrence rate were evaluated after a median follow-up of 13 months.

Among upper gastrointestinal ulcer patients in Lhasa, the prevalence of H. pylori infection was 72.6%. H. pylori-positive patients were more likely to experience abdominal distension compared to H. pylori-negative patients (40.7% vs 21.5%, χ²=2.907, P=0.006). However, gastrointestinal bleeding symptoms were less common (45.3% vs 67.7%, χ²=9.428, P=0.002) and the incidence of complications was lower (48.8% vs 69.2%, χ²=7.910, P=0.005) in H. pylori-positive patients. Among the 169 patients who received treatment, the H. pylori eradication rate was 82.7%. During the follow-up period, there was no statistically significant difference in ulcer recurrence rates between the two groups (P≈1.000, Fisher's exact test).

H. pylori infection is common among upper gastrointestinal ulcer patients in Lhasa. Quadruple therapy demonstrates some efficacy in eradicating H. pylori, but further research is needed to reduce ulcer recurrence rates. Given the higher incidence of complications in H. pylori-negative upper gastrointestinal ulcer patients, it is important to focus on studying this subgroup of patients.