One-week therapy for Helicobacter pylori. A randomized trial of two treatment regimens.

In clinical practice, eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection may be difficult due to medication side effects and the need for 2 weeks of therapy. Because therapies of shorter duration may improve patient compliance and reduce treatment side effects, we compared the efficacy and tolerability of two anti-H. pylori treatments of 1 week's duration. Patients with H. pylori infection were randomized to treatment with either (a) short-course triple therapy, composed-of bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.) two tablets four times daily, amoxicillin 1 g (two 500-mg tablets) twice daily, and metronidazole 500 mg four times daily on days 5-7 or (b) omeprazole 40 mg twice a day with amoxicillin 1 g twice a day for 1 week. At least 4 weeks posttreatment, efficacy was evaluated with either histological evaluation of antral biopsies for H. pylori or 14C urea breath testing. Patients who failed initial therapy were allowed to cross over to the alternative treatment regimen after a minimum "wash-out" period of 5 weeks. Patients completed a diary during therapy to monitor both compliance and side effects. Thirty-four patients completed the study, 10 receiving both treatment regimens. Treatment with the shortcourse triple therapy eradicated H. pylori in 78.3% of treatments compared with 38% with the high-dose omeprazole/ amoxicillin combination (p < 0.05). Patients were highly compliant with both treatments, and mild side effects, such as transient loose stools or abdominal pain, were common in both groups. This is the first report from North America confirming the success of the short-course triple therapy for the eradication of H. pylori. The high-dose omeprazole/ amoxicillin regimen's eradication rate was markedly inferior to that achieved by the short-course triple therapy regimen and should not be used. Comparative studies of the short-course triple therapy regimen with other 7-day anti-H. pylori treatment regimen therapies are indicated.

Single-day, divided-dose oral sodium phosphate laxative versus intestinal lavage as preparation for colonoscopy: efficacy and patient tolerance.

Polyethylene glycol-electrolyte lavage solutions are widely used to prepare the colon for colonoscopy. Unfortunately, some patients find this preparation difficult to complete. Recent studies of a sodium phosphate-based laxative have shown both good patient tolerance and good bowel preparation. In these studies, the laxative has generally been prescribed in two doses, with the second dose taken early the morning of colonoscopy. Because the morning dose is inconvenient for many patients, we compared giving a common polyethylene glycol-based electrolyte lavage solution the day before colonoscopy with our method of giving both doses of sodium phosphate-based laxative the day before colonoscopy: one dose at 4 PM and the second dose at 8 PM. We judged efficacy by an assessment of residual liquid and fecal matter in the colon and judged tolerance by the results of a symptom questionnaire completed by each patient immediately before the procedure. Our results in more than 200 patients showed similar efficacy ratings and similar symptom scores for both preparations, but patients rated the sodium phosphate-based preparation as easier to tolerate. In conclusion, in selected patients this new dosing method for sodium phosphate is preferable to large-volume, whole-gut lavage solutions.

Long-term follow-up of Helicobacter pylori treatment in non-ulcer dyspepsia patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It remains controversial whether Helicobacter pylori infection causes symptoms in non-ulcer dyspepsia. One hundred non-ulcer dyspepsia patients were screened for H. pylori infection between November 1989 and February 1994. Forty patients entered a trial where both infected and uninfected patients were treated with H. pylori therapy, with the uninfected group serving as controls. METHODS: Non-ulcer dyspepsia was defined as unexplained epigastric discomfort lasting for at least 4 wk. From November 1989 until February 1992, all patients, regardless of H. pylori status, were treated with bismuth subsalicylate tablets (524 mg q.i.d.) for 4 wk and metronidazole (250 mg q.i.d.) for the first 2 of the 4 wk. From March 1992 until February 1994, only infected patients were treated in an attempt to obtain equal numbers in each group. H. pylori infection was diagnosed histologically at the index endoscopy and 1 month after completion of therapy. Symptoms were scored on a 0-5 scale for both frequency and severity. RESULTS: Of 100 patients screened, 33 were infected with H. pylori (mean age, 42; 10 men, 23 women), and 67 were uninfected (mean age, 38; 16 men, 51 women). Thirty-six uninfected patients were not offered treatment during the latter part of the trial. Of the remaining 31 uninfected patients, 10 dropped out; of the 33 infected patients, 14 dropped out. Twenty-one uninfected patients and 19 H. pylori-infected patients completed treatment; in 13 of 19 patients (68%), H. pylori was eradicated. Symptoms improved in eight of 13 (61%) H. pylori-eradicated patients and in four of six (66%) H. pylori-persistent patients, compared with 14 of 21 (66%) uninfected patients. Long-term follow-up (mean, 34 months) showed similar symptom outcome in the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-three percent of our non-ulcer dyspepsia patients were infected with H. pylori, a number similar to the percentage of infected age-matched controls in the U.S. Treatment with bismuth subsalicylate and metronidazole resulted in symptomatic improvement in 61-66% of non-ulcer dyspepsia patients regardless of initial or post-treatment H. pylori status. Long-term symptom follow-up in both the control and infected groups gave similar results. H. pylori infection is not related to the symptoms of non-ulcer dyspepsia.