Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Clinical Practice in the United States

Our objectives were to define treatment success, compliance, and side effects for treatment of Helicobacter pylori in clinical practice. In all, 224 consecutive patients received Helicobacter pylori treatment: 97 received two weeks of bismuth subsalicylate, metronidazole, tetracycline four times a day with a H₂-receptor antagonist twice a day (BMT); 89 received one week of metronidazole, lansoprazole, and clarithromycin twice a day (MLC); and 38 received one week of BMT with lansoprazole twice a day (BMT-PPI). Cure rates were: BMT 81% (95% CI 74–89%), MLC 90% (95% CI 84–96%) BMT-PPI 87% (95% CI 81–92%). More patients prescribed a bismuth-based regimen discontinued medications due to side effects compared to MLC (P = 0.049). Nausea was more common for BMT compared to MLC (P = 0.04). In conclusion, treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection with a one-week course of MLC achieves a high rate of cure in clinical practice. Significantly fewer patients prescribed PPI-based therapy discontinue medications due to side effects as compared to bismuth-based triple therapy.