Recommendation on diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children and adolescents

Abstract

The characteristics of Helicobacter (H.) pylori infection in children differ from the infection in adults, so diagnostic and treatment approaches are different. In addition, numerous data point to a worrying increase of antibiotic resistance and unsatisfactory eradication rate of H. pylori in children. Due to all this, and since there are only guidelines for adults in Croatia, there is a need for recommendation on diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori infection in children and adolescents. The approach “test and treat” is not justified in children. Diagnostic tests should focus on detecting the cause of symptoms, and not on searching for H. pylori. The diagnosis of infection should be based on positive culture or a combination of finding bacteria on histopathology and one more positive biopsy-based test. The eradication treatment should be based on antimicrobial sensitivity/resistance, using adequate therapy dosages for 14 days. If sensitivity for antibiotics is not known, the first line of therapy includes high dosage of proton pump inhibitors, amoxicillin and metronidazol for 14 days. After treatment, the eradication should be checked using C13-urea breath test or stool antigen test, at least four weeks after therapy. In case of unsuccessful eradication, the second line treatment is used, taking into account antibiotics already used as the first line, duration of therapy, and if possible the treatment should be based on culture and antibiotic sensitivity.

Keywords

• helicobacter infections – diagnosis
• drug therapy; helicobacter pylory – drug effects
• isolation and purification; drug resistance
• bacterial; anti-bacterial agents – therapeutic use; proton pump inhibitors – therapeutic use; drug therapy