Abstract

Abstract
Aim
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites over time among patients who presented with dyspeptic complaints and sought stool samples from a Turkish tertiary hospital, and to investigate the correlation between intestinal parasites and age and gender.
Material and Methods
A retrospective study was conducted between 2019 and 2024 at Siirt Education and Research Hospital to determine the intestinal parasites (IP) trend. We assessed the association between IP and age and gender groupings, as well as the distribution of IP types by year. Stool samples were analyzed using the native-lugol technique under a direct light microscope. All data lacking sociodemographic characteristics and the year of stool examination were excluded from the study. Finally, SPSS version 24.0 was used to analyze the data.
Results
In the research, data from 6291 patients were analyzed, and when their gender distribution was examined, females were found to be 56.9%, and males were found to be 43.1%. The presence of parasites and gender did not differ significantly (p=0.528). The prevalence of parasites was 5.7% in the 18–65 age group and 9.0% in the over-65 age group when the presence of parasites was analyzed by age group. There was a statistically significant variation in the prevalence of parasites by age group (p=0.006). The most common IP species were E. histolytica (48.3%), B. hominis (28.2%), and G. intestinalis (22.5%, n=84), respectively. H. nana (1.1%, n=4) was at a very low rate.
Discussion
IP pose a serious threat to health, particularly in developing nations. With increased awareness of IP, efficient diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies, we think its prevalence will decline.

Key words: intestinal parasites, trend analysis, Turkey