title: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in obese patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery--fourteen days superior to seven days?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in our obese population undergoing Roux-en-Y bypass gastric surgery (69.4%) and the concern that it may exacerbate postoperative foregut symptoms and increase gastric cancer risk led us to adopt a policy of HP systematic eradication in this group of patients. Our aim, in obese patients undergoing bypass gastric surgery, was to compare effectivity of 7- and 14-days clarithromycin-based triple therapy as the first-line treatment for HP eradication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred seventy-three patients [mean age 41.2 ± 10.3 years; 313 women (83.9%)] were HP positive determined by histology or urea breath test. In 2005, 94 patients (Group A) were treated with a 7-days triple therapy-proton pump inhibitor (PPI) b.i.d., clarithromycin (CL) 500 mg b.i.d., and amoxicillin (AMX) 1,000 mg b.i.d. Since 2006, 279 patients (Group B) were treated with a similar 14-days drug regimen-PPI b.i.d., CL 500 mg b.i.d., and AMX 1,000 mg b.i.d. Posttreatment HP status was assessed by C13 urea breath test 4-6 weeks after the end of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The eradication rates were 67.0% (Group A) and 79.9% (Group B). The eradication rate achieved with 14-days triple therapy was significantly higher than with 7-days triple therapy (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.16-3.30; p = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 14-days triple therapy is more effective than 7-days triple therapy suggesting this regimen should be the first-line therapy for HP eradication in Portuguese obese patients undergoing bypass gastric surgery.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology, S. Sebastião Hospital, Santa Maria Feira, Portugal. rcerqueira@hospitalfeira.min-saude.pt
authors.forename: Rute Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cerqueira
authors.forename: M Conceição
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Manso
authors.forename: Manuel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Carolina D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Hélder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vilar
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nora
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D000658:Amoxicillin; D017291:Clarithromycin