ERADICATION OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI - THE RESULTS OF A PILOT-STUDY OF 3, 5 AND 7 DAY TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC REGIME WITH BISMUTH FOR ONE MONTH

In a prospective study designed to assess the effect of duration of an tibiotic therapy on the helicobactericidal and ulcer healing efficacy of bismuth therapy, groups of patients, 10 in each group, with H. pylo ri-positive duodenal ulcer received a triple therapy regimen consistin g of colloidal bismuth subcitrate 120 mg 4 times daily for 28 days wit h metronidazole 400 mg 3 times daily and tetracycline 500 mg 3 times d aily for the first 3, 5 or 7 days of therapy, H. pylori infection was assessed by urease test, culture and histology performed before and 4 or more weeks after completion of therapy, Three patients (30 per cent ) were H. pylori-negative after therapy in the 3 day compared with 5 ( 50 per cent) in the 5 day and 9 (90 per cent) in the 7 day treatment g roups (3 vs 7, P = 0.01; 5 vs 7, P = 0.14), Healed ulcers were seen in 7 (70 per cent) of the 3 day, in 6 (60 per cent) of the 5 day, and in 10 (100 per cent) of the 7 day treatment groups (5 vs 7, P = 0.04). B ismuth triple therapy incorporating metronidazole and tetracycline for 7 days is associated with superior H. pylori eradication and ulcer he aling rates than bismuth triple therapy incorporating antibiotics for 3 or 5 days.