SUMMARYBackground: The high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori resistance to metronidazole demands treatments more effective than standard bismuth-based triple therapy against these strains. Aim: To evaluate the H. pylori eradication rate in both metronidazole-sensitive and -resistant strains following quadruple therapy using single-triple capsules of bismuth biskalcitrate, metronidazole and tetracycline, given with omeprazole. Methods: One hundred and seventy valid patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer or non-ulcer dyspepsia were treated in eight centres located in five countries. H. pylori was confirmed at baseline using 13 C-urea breath test, histology and ⁄ or culture. Patients received three single-triple capsules q.i.d. and omeprazole,

Three hundred seventy patients with recently healed duodenal ulcer entered into a one-year, double-blind, randomized multicenter trial comparing placebo with three different dose schedules of cimetidine (200 mg twice a day, 300 mg twice a day, and 400 mg at bedtime) for the prevention of recurrent duodenal ulcer. By the end of one year, the cumulative symptomatic recurrence rate as demonstrated by endoscopy was similar for the patients receiving the three dosages of cimetidine (19 per cent, 15 per cent, and 13 per cent, respectively; not significant), whereas the placebo-treated group had a 34.7 per cent symptomatic recurrence rate (P less than 0.01 as compared with each cimetidine group). Cigarette smoking was found to be an important variable; among the placebo recipients ulcer recurrence was significantly more likely in smokers (72 per cent) than in nonsmokers (21 per cent, P less than 0.001). The frequency of ulcer recurrence in smokers was significantly reduced by treatment with cimetidine (from 72 per cent to 34 per cent, P less than 0.). Smokers who received cimetidine were at least as likely to have a recurrence as were nonsmokers who received placebo (34 per cent vs. 21 per cent, not significant). Thus, smoking appears to be a major factor in recurrence of duodenal ulcer, and in smokers, giving up smoking may be more important in the prevention of ulcer recurrences than administration of cimetidine.

Aim : To investigate the efficacy of two omeprazole triple therapies for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, ulcer healing and ulcer relapse during a 6‐month treatment‐free period in patients with active duodenal ulcer. Methods : This was a double‐blind, randomized study in 15 centres across Canada. Patients (n = 149) were randomized to omeprazole 20 mg once daily (O) or one of two 1‐week b.d. eradication regimens: omeprazole 20 mg, metronidazole 400 mg and clarithromycin 250 mg (OMC) or omeprazole 20 mg, amoxycillin 1000 mg and clarithromycin 500 mg (OAC). All patients were treated for three additional weeks with omeprazole 20 mg once daily. Ulcer healing was assessed by endoscopy after 4 weeks of study therapy. H. pylori eradication was determined by a 13C‐urea breath test and histology, performed at pre‐entry, at 4 weeks after the end of all therapy and at 6 months. Results : The intention‐to‐treat (intention‐to‐treat) analysis contained 146 patients and the per protocol (per protocol) analysis, 114 patients. The eradication rates were (intention‐to‐treat/per protocol): OMC—85% and 92%, OAC—78% and 87% and O—0% (O). Ulcer healing (intention‐to‐treat) was greater than 90% in all groups. The differences in the eradication and relapse rates between O vs. OMC and O vs. OAC were statistically significant (all, P < 0.001). Treatment was well tolerated and compliance was high. Conclusion : The OMC and OAC 1‐week treatment regimens are safe and effective for eradication, healing and the prevention of relapse in duodenal ulcer patients.

No abstract

Rabeprazole was superior to ranitidine in esophageal healing and symptom relief in patients with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, and was equally well tolerated.