Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a Eubacterium that infects the mucus lining of the human stomach. Many peptic ulcers and some types of gastritis are caused by H. pylori infection, although most humans who are infected will never develop symptoms. This bacterium lives in the human stomach exclusively and is the only known organism that can thrive in that highly acidic environment. It is helix-shaped (hence the name helicobacter) and can literally screw itself into the stomach lining to colonize.

Treatment

In gastric ulcer patients where H. pylori is detected, normal procedure is eradication to allow the ulcer to heal. The standard first-line therapy is a one week triple-therapy of amoxicillin, clarithromycin and omeprazole – though sometimes a different proton pump inhibitor is substituted, or metronidazole is used in place of amoxicillin in those allergic to penicillin. Such a therapy has revolutionised the treatment of gastric ulcers and has made a cure to the disease possible, where previously symptom-control using antacids, H2-antagonists or proton pump inhibitors alone was the only option.

Related Topics:
Amoxicillin - Clarithromycin - Omeprazole - Proton pump inhibitor - Metronidazole - Allergic - Penicillin - H₂-antagonists

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Unfortunately, an increasing number of infected individuals are found to harbour bacteria resistant to first-line antibiotics. This results in initial treatment failure and requires additional rounds of antibiotic therapy.

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For resistant cases, a quadruple therapy may be used. Bismuth compounds are also effective in combination with the above drugs.

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There is some preliminary evidence that regular consumption of broccoli might eradicate H. pylori (Galan 2004).

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