Six-day or seven-day regimens with ranitidine bismuth citrate plus high-dose clarithromycin and tinidazole are both effective against Helicobacter pylori infection

We compared the efficacy of two therapies to eradicate H. pylori infection including ranitidine bismuth citrate (400 mg twice daily), clarithromycin ( 500 mg twice daily), and tinidazole (500 mg twice daily), administered for six or seven days. Eighty H. pylori-positive patients were consecutively re cruited and randomly subdivided into groups A and B, receiving one of the t wo treatment regimens. The H. pylori status was evaluated by means of histo logy and rapid urease test at entry, and by [C-13]urea breath test alone ei ght weeks after treatment, All 40 patients in group A and 39/40 in group B completed the study. Thirty-six of 40 patients in the group A (90%) and 36 of 39 ill the group B (92%) became H. pylori-negative. Slight or mild side- effects occurred in 4/40 patients (10%) of group A and in 5/39 (13%) of gro up B. In conclusion, both regimens we tested yielded high eradication rates with modest side effects, This is the first trial investigating a triple-d rug RBC-based regimen administered for only six days.