Omeprazole, azithromycin and either amoxycillin or metronidazole in eradication of Helicobacter pylori in duodenal ulcer patients |
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Authors: | V ev,V eva, timac,Taka ,Dmitrovi ,& Kova |
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Affiliation: | Internal Clinic and Department of Pathology, Clinical Hospital Osijek, Osijek, Croatia,;Internal Clinic and Department of Pathology, Clinical Hospital Center, Rijeka, Croatia |
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Abstract: | Background Azithromycin is a new generation, acid stable, macrolide antibiotic that achieves remarkably high concentrations in gastric tissue (above the minimal inhibitory concentration for Helicobacter pylori) after oral administration. Aim To establish whether azithromycin plus omeprazole in association with either amoxycillin or metronidazole are useful in curing H. pylori infection in patients with a duodenal ulcer. Methods One hundred patients with active duodenal ulcers and H. pylori infection were treated with omeprazole (days 1–10, 40 mg b.d.; days 11–24, 40 mg o.m.; days 25–42, 20 mg o.m.) plus azithromycin 500 mg o.m. for the first 6 days. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either amoxycillin 1 g b.d. (OAzA group; n = 50) or metronidazole 400 mg t.d.s. (OAzM group; n = 50) during the first 10 days of treatment. H. pylori status was determined by urease test and histology before the treatment and 6 weeks after completion of therapy. Results Ninety-seven patients completed the study. H. pylori infection was eradicated in 85% (41/48) of patients in the OAzA group (intention-to-treat analysis 82%) vs. 74% (36/49) of patients in the OAzM group (intention-to-treat analysis: 72%) (N.S.). All ulcers had healed after 6 weeks of omeprazole treatment. Side-effects, usually minor, were recorded in 13% (OAzA group) and 47% (OAzM group) of patients (P < 0.001), but therapy was discontinued for only one patient in the OAzA group (N.S.). Conclusion Ten days of treatment with omeprazole plus (for the first 6 days) azithromycin and either amoxycillin or metronidazole provides effective regimens to cure H. pylori infection in patients with duodenal ulcer disease. |
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