Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori in pediatric patients -- 10 years' experience

Eur J Pediatr. 2012 Sep;171(9):1325-30. doi: 10.1007/s00431-012-1722-8. Epub 2012 Mar 20.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of evolution of resistance to antibiotics in Helicobacter pylori isolated from children who underwent upper endoscopy with antral biopsy during a 10-year period (2001-2010). We retrospectively analyzed data of all children (n = 3,008) who underwent upper endoscopy during the observed period at the Children's Hospital Zagreb, a university tertiary medical center. We calculated the rate, antibiotic susceptibility and risk factors for the H. pylori infection in our cohort. Antral biopsy was performed in 2,313 (76.89%) patients. Altogether, 382 (16.51%) children had positive biopsy for H. pylori (histology and/or culture). There was no significant difference in the incidence of H. pylori during 10 years of observation (p = 0.21). Infected children compared to non-infected group were older (p = 0.005), and had more often antral nodularity (p < 0.0001), and duodenal ulcer (p = 0.002). Altogether, 22.4% of treatment-naïve patients had strains resistant to tested antibiotics: majority to azithromycin (17.9%), followed by clarithromycin (11.9%), metronidazole (10.1%) and amoxicillin (0.6%). In the eradication failure group, 9/11 of children had strains resistant to tested antibiotics, mostly to metronidazole (7/11), followed by azithromycin (3/11) and clarithromycin (1/11). No correlation was found between age or gender and antibiotic resistance (p = 0.32, for both). In conclusion, our data strongly support current guidelines which recommend antibiotic susceptibility testing prior to eradication therapy. Based on our results we recommend the use of amoxicillin-metronidazole-based regimen as the first-line therapy in our study population.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Amoxicillin / pharmacology
  • Amoxicillin / therapeutic use*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Biopsy
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clarithromycin / pharmacology
  • Clarithromycin / therapeutic use*
  • Croatia
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Gastroscopy
  • Helicobacter Infections / drug therapy*
  • Helicobacter Infections / microbiology
  • Helicobacter Infections / pathology
  • Helicobacter pylori / drug effects*
  • Helicobacter pylori / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Metronidazole / pharmacology
  • Metronidazole / therapeutic use*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Proton Pump Inhibitors
  • Metronidazole
  • Amoxicillin
  • Clarithromycin