HIGH EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF ONE-WEEK ANTIBIOTIC REGIMEN IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ERADICATION

Background: Helicobacter pylori is strongly associated with peptic ulc er: H. pylori eradication markedly decreases the recurrence rate of du odenal and gastric ulcer, but the optimum length of antibiotic therapy in the eradication of H. pylori is still unclear. Aim: To verify the effectiveness and side-effect profile of an eradicating regimen consis ting of omeprazole 20 mg daily for 4 weeks and, during the first week, combination antimicrobial treatment with tinidazole 500 mg b.d. plus clarithromycin 250 mg b.d. in patients with active duodenal and gastri c ulcer. Methods: One hundred and ninety-six duodenal ulcer patients a nd 27 gastric ulcer patients with H. pylori infection were admitted in to an open prospective study. Compliance was assessed by an accurate i nterview. Results: Overall, H. pylori was successfully eradicated in 2 01 of 223 patients (intention-to-treat 90.1%; 95% CI = 85-94%): 176 of 196 duodenal ulcer patients became H. pylori-negative (89.8%; CI = 85 -94%) as well as 25 of 27 gastric ulcer patients (92.6%; CI = 76-99%), Compliance was excellent in 221 of 223 (99.1%) patients evaluated as having taken all the medication as prescribed. Sixteen patients (7.2%) developed mild side effects during treatment. Conclusion: This combin ation treatment had excellent results with almost absolute compliance and a very low rate of minor side effects.