Pediatric Helicobacter Pylori Infection Treatment & Management
- Author: Mutaz I Sultan, MBChB; Chief Editor: Carmen Cuffari, MD more...
Medical Care
The new guidelines recommended treatment for the following group of patients[21] :
- In the presence of H pylori –positive PUD, eradication of the organism is recommended.
- When H pylori infection is detected by biopsy-based methods in the absence of PUD, H pylori treatment may be considered. The decision to treat H pylori –associated gastritis without duodenal or gastric ulcer is subject to the judgment of the clinician and deliberations with the patient and family, taking into consideration the potential risks and benefits of the treatment in the individual patient.
- In children who are infected with H pylori and whose first-degree relative has gastric cancer, treatment can be offered.
- A ‘test-and-treat’ strategy is not recommended in children. The primary goal of testing is to diagnose the cause of clinical symptoms
The following treatments should be applied[21] :
- First-line eradication regimens are the following: triple therapy with a PPI + amoxicillin + imidazole; or PPI + amoxicillin + clarithromycin; or bismuth salts + amoxicillin + imidazole; or sequential therapy. Sequential therapy involves dual therapy with a PPI and amoxicillin for 5 days followed sequentially by 5 days of triple therapy (a PPI with clarithromycin and metronidazole/tinidazole). In fact, this regimen can be considered as quadruple therapy provided in a sequential manner. It is speculated that the initial use of amoxicillin reduces the bacterial load and provides protection against clarithromycin resistance.
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing for clarithromycin is recommended before initial clarithromycin-based triple therapy in areas/populations with a known high resistance rate (>20%) of H pylori to clarithromycin.
- It is recommended that the duration of triple therapy be 7-14 days. Costs, compliance, and adverse effects should be taken into account.
- A reliable noninvasive test for eradication is recommended at least 4-8 weeks following completion of therapy
If treatment has failed, the following 3 options are recommended:
- EGD, with culture and susceptibility testing, including alternate antibiotics if not performed before guide therapy.
- Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on previous paraffin-embedded biopsies if clarithromycin susceptibility testing has not been performed before to guide therapy.
- Modify therapy by adding an antibiotic, using different antibiotics, adding bismuth, and/or increasing dose and/or duration of therapy.
If it is not possible to perform a primary culture, then the following therapeutic regimens are suggested as second-line or salvage therapy[21] :
- Quadruple therapy is with PPI + metronidazole + amoxicillin + bismuth. Quadruple therapy is the recommended second-line therapy in most guidelines; however, this regimen is complicated to administer. Furthermore, bismuth salts are not universally available.
- Triple therapy is with PPI + levofloxacin (moxifloxacin) + amoxicillin. Evaluation of regimens using fluoroquinolones, including levofloxacin, as second-line therapy in children is limited. In adult studies, this regimen appears to be effective.
Although the studies on the ideal duration of therapy for second-line treatment are not conclusive, a longer duration of therapy of up to 14 days is recommended.
Surgical Care
- Surgical procedures are rarely necessary in the treatment of patients with H pylori infection. However, in ulcer disease, surgery may be necessary for certain complications unresponsive to medical therapies, including intractable abdominal pain, gastric outlet obstruction, perforation, and severe bleeding.
Consultations
- Pediatric gastroenterologist - For evaluation, endoscopy, and biopsy testing to confirm H pylori infection and exclude other causes of abdominal pain or bleeding
- Surgeon - For intervention in patients with severe or intractable pain or bleeding or in patients with GI tract perforation or obstruction
- Radiologist - For patients who require upper-GI imaging with contrast-enhanced studies
Diet
- Foods such as berry juice and some dairy products may have modest bacteriostatic effect on H pylori.
- Two randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluated the effect of probiotic food as an adjuvant to the standard triple therapy for eradication of H pylori infection in children and showed conflicting results.[23, 24]
- In a recent prospective study in adults, addition of vitamin C to an H pylori treatment regimen of amoxicillin, metronidazole, and bismuth can significantly increase H pylori eradication rate.[25]
Activity
- No specific restrictions of activities are necessary for the child with H pylori infection.
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