Management guidelines for Helicobacter pylori infection: utilization by paediatric gastroenterologists in Australasia.
OBJECTIVE
Although there are published guidelines representing the consensus of several large groups, it is unclear whether these are used by practitioners in the management of Helicobacter pylori infection in children and if the guidelines are relevant to particular regions of the world. The aim of this study was to answer these questions in regard to the Australasian region.


METHODS
An email-based questionnaire was circulated to Australasian paediatric gastroenterologists to ascertain aspects of practice related to H. pylori infection in children and to review practitioner awareness and use of the guidelines.


RESULTS
Twenty-five (78%) of 32 questionnaires were completed. Current practice reported by the respondents followed the principles of the published guidelines. However, only 15 gastroenterologists were aware of the guidelines: a number of these practitioners were uncomfortable adapting the published guidelines to their local situation.


CONCLUSIONS
Although widely distributed in the paediatric gastroenterology literature, guidelines for management of H. pylori infection may not be utilized fully by individual practitioners. As these guidelines are updated, based upon current developments in the understanding of H. pylori disease, attempts should be made to ensure that such documents are widely distributed to practitioners and that they reflect regional variations in disease patterns.
Day
A S
AS
Department of Gastroenterology, Sydney Children's Hospital, School of Women's and Children's Health and School of Microbiology and Immunology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. andrew.day@unsw.edu.au
Mitchell
H M
HM
Bohane
T D
TD
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D044362:Australasia / Q000208:ethnology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents