title: Randomized clinical trial comparing 10-day sequential, 7-day concomitant and 7-day standard triple therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare triple therapy with sequential and concomitant therapies directly in a head-to-head comparison in Helicobacter pylori-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were allocated randomly as follows: a triple therapy with esomeprazole (20 mg), amoxicillin (1000 mg) and clarithromycin (500 mg) twice daily for 7 days; a sequential therapy with 5 days of esomeprazole (20 mg) and amoxicillin (1000 mg) twice daily, followed by 5 days of esomeprazole (20 mg), clarithromycin (500 mg) and metronidazole (400 mg) twice daily; or a concomitant therapy consisting of esomeprazole (20 mg), amoxicillin (1000 mg), clarithromycin (500 mg) and metronidazole (400 mg) twice daily for 7 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 356 consecutive patients were included. The eradication rates for the triple, sequential and concomitant therapies were 83.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 76.9-90.4%], 94.2% (95% CI 90.0-98.4%) and 91.7% (95% CI 86.7-96.6%), respectively, in the intention-to-treat population. The differences were significant only between triple and sequential therapies (P=0.01). The primary resistance rates to amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole were 0.6, 10.5 and 25.9%, respectively. Concomitant therapy was significantly better than triple therapy in cases with clarithromycin resistance (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ten-day sequential therapy was significantly better than 7-day triple therapy in a clinical setting with low rates of clarithromycin and dual resistance. Concomitant therapy was significantly better than standard triple therapy in the subgroup of patients with clarithromycin-resistant strains.
authors: aAM DC Rogaška, Rogaška Slatina bGeneral Hospital Slovenj Gradec, Slovenj Gradec cGeneral Hospital Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota dDC Bled, Bled eMC Heliks, Trbovlje fInstitute for Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Bojan
authors: B
authors: Tepeš
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Vujasinović
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Šeruga
authors: Milan
authors: M
authors: Stefanovič
authors: Alenka
authors: A
authors: Forte
authors: Samo
authors: S
authors: Jeverica
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D064098:Esomeprazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D008795:Metronidazole; D000658:Amoxicillin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D064098:Esomeprazole