ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the recommended 2-wk triple therapy for eradicating Helicobacter pylori could be reduced to 1 wk, and thus we tried to determine the optimal treatment duration for triple therapy. METHODS: A group of 111 consecutive patients with H. pylori-proven chronic peptic ulcer disease was entered in a randomized study comparing the side effects, compliance, and eradication rates with either 1 wk or 2 wk of traditional triple therapy in combination with an H2 receptor antagonist (quadruple therapy). RESULTS: Follow-up data were available for 109 patients. Eradication for 1 wk of treatment was 53/56 (95%) [95% confidence interval (CI), 89-100%] and for the 2-wk treatment schedule was 50/53 (94%) (95% CI, 88-100%). Therefore 1-wk quadruple therapy appears sufficient, and prolonging treatment does not increase efficacy. Compliance with quadruple therapy is better when the duration of treatment decreases from 2 to 1 wk. One-week quadruple therapy seems feasible for most patients. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high eradication rate and good tolerability of this short course of quadruple therapy, we recommend it as first-line anti-Helicobacter treatment in a compliant population.
