ONE-DAY THERAPY FOR TREATMENT OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION

The present study evaluated the effect of a one-day high-dose combined therapy on Helicobacter pylori infection. Thirty-two consecutive pati ents (suffering from either peptic ulcer or nonulcer dyspepsia) with H elicobacter pylori infection received omeprazole (40 mg) + bismuth sub citrate (240 mg X 4) + amoxicillin suspension (2000 mg X 4) + metronid azole (500 mg x 4), for only one day. Endoscopy, histology, culture, a nd susceptibility studies were done at entry and 30 and 90 days after the treatment day. Successful eradication was obtained in 23/32 (72%) patients and gastritis had resolved in 95% of these. Side effects were induced by the treatment in 6/32 (19%) patients, but these were all s elf-limiting, short-lasting, and did not require any specific treatmen t. Development of bacterial resistance to metronidazole occurred in 6/ 9 (67%) non-eradicated patients. These data suggest that one-day treat ment with high doses of amoxicillin, metronidazole, bismuth, and omepr azole represents an effective, safe, and inexpensive therapeutic appro ach for the treatment of H. pylori infection.