Antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori isolates from children

• Published in: Journal of paediatrics and child health 2003-07, Vol.39 (5), p.332-335
• Main Authors: Rerksuppaphol, S, Hardikar, W, Midolo, PD, Ward, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amoxicillin - pharmacology; Amoxicillin - therapeutic use; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Australia; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Children; Clarithromycin - pharmacology; Clarithromycin - therapeutic use; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Female; Helicobacter Infections - drug therapy; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - drug effects; Helicobacter pylori - isolation & purification; Hospitals, Pediatric; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Metronidazole - pharmacology; Metronidazole - therapeutic use; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Resistance; Tetracycline - pharmacology; Tetracycline - therapeutic use; therapy; Tropical medicine; Victoria
• ISSN: 1034-4810; 1440-1754
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1754.2003.00153.x

Objective:  To determine the resistance rate to four antimicrobial agents commonly used in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children. Methods:  Between July 1997 and January 2000, all H. pylori isolates from children undergoing gastroscopy were prospectively collected and subcultured to yield the susceptibility to four antimicrobial agents by E‐test. In all, 23 isolates were tested. Demographic data, presenting symptoms, treatment regimen and clinical improvement after treatment were collected retrospectively. Results:  The resistance rate of H. pylori to metronidazole and clarithromycin were 43.5% and 8.7%, respectively. No H. pylori strains were resistant to amoxycillin or tetracycline. There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, ethnicity, presenting symptoms or clinical improvement after treatment between antimicrobial‐susceptible and antimicrobial‐resistant groups. Conclusions:  The frequent resistance of H. pylori to metronidazole and moderate resistance to clarithromycin in children are comparable with local adult data. The incidence of resistance tended to be higher in patients of non‐European ethnicity, but this was not statistically significant. Given that the primary goal of therapy is eradication, and that local resistance rates are high, recommendations for H. pylori management may need to be modified to include sensitivity testing and/or determination of eradication in all patients.