One-Week Treatment with Omeprazole, Clarithromycin, and Metronidazole in Children with Helicobacter pylori Infection

Abstract
The efficacy of a 1-week "triple therapy" in children with Helicobacter pylori gastritis and recurrent abdominal pain was studied. The effect of treatment was also studied in correlation to recurrent abdominal pain. Thirty-two children with recurrent abdominal pain were investigated with H. pylori serology, 13C-urea breath test, and endoscopy. Gastric biopsy specimens were analyzed with a rapid urease test and histopathology. H. pylori-positive children were treated with omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole for 7 days. The same treatment was repeated for 2 weeks if a urea breath test produced positive results 1 month after the treatment period. If the test results were still positive after treatment, a second endoscopy was performed with culture. Twenty-eight (87.5%) children were urea breath test-negative at follow-up 4 weeks (range, 4-5) after treatment. Another child became H. pylori-negative after a second treatment course. Two of the three children who were still positive after the two treatment periods, showed resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin. One-week therapy with omeprazole, clarithromycin and metronidazole is an effective treatment in children with H. pylori infection. Bacterial resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole must be monitored if treatment fails.

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