Use of commonly prescribed antibiotics is not associated with prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in adults.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to investigate the association of the use of commonly prescribed antibiotics with prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in a population of adult outpatients.


METHODS
All patients aged 15-79 years who visited the practice of a general practitioner (GP) between June and September 1996 in a suburban community near Ulm, a city in southern Germany, were asked to participate in the study. Infection status was determined with a 13C-urea breath test. In addition, the patients were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire.


RESULTS
Overall, 475 outpatients were included in the study (response, 94.1%). A total of 266 patients (56.0%) reported a history of antibiotic treatment within the past 5 years, whereas 147 patients (30.9%) did not (62 patients (13.1%) did not know). Prevalence of infection in patients with a history of antibiotic medication during the past 5 years was 23.3%, whereas the prevalence of infection was 20.4% in subjects without antibiotic treatment (P = 0.283 after stratification for age). Control for other potential confounders by multivariable analysis did not materially alter the results.


CONCLUSIONS
Coincidental antibiotic treatment is not associated with H. pylori prevalence in adults.
Rothenbacher
D
D
Dept. of Epidemiology, University of Ulm, Germany.
Bode
G
G
Adler
G
G
Brenner
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents