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Bismuth quadruple remedy ‘extremely efficient’ for preliminary, salvage therapy of H. pylori


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August 01, 2025

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Key takeaways:

  • Concomitant and bismuth quadruple therapies had success charges of practically 90% for preliminary therapy of H. pylori.
  • Earlier use of macrolide antibiotics or metronidazole affected efficacy of sure regimens.

Bismuth quadruple and concomitant therapies yielded the best eradication charges for preliminary therapy of Helicobacter pylori in a big U.S. inhabitants, based on examine outcomes printed in Medical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Amongst sufferers who required a second spherical of antibiotics, bismuth quadruple remedy was essentially the most profitable routine, with an eradication price approaching 70%.



 Eradication rates for H. pylori with bismuth quadruple therapy infographic

Knowledge derived from Service provider SA, et al. Clin Gastroenterol & Hepatol. 2025; doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2025.06.029.

Dan Li, MD

Dan Li

“There are numerous completely different regimens used to deal with H. pylori,” examine writer Dan Li, MD, a gastroenterologist and scientific investigator with the supply science and utilized analysis program on the Kaiser Permanente Division of Analysis, instructed Healio. “However as antibiotic resistance has grow to be extra widespread within the U.S. in recent times, we have now been seeing lowering effectiveness of lots of the regimens we have now sometimes used.”

Within the retrospective cohort examine, Li and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of a number of therapy regimens for H. pylori utilizing digital well being report information from sufferers who acquired preliminary and salvage therapy at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between 2000 and 2022.

The researchers discovered that amongst 26,669 H. pylori-contaminated sufferers who acquired preliminary therapy, a 14-day routine of concomitant remedy — which included a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole (PACM-14) — attained the best eradication price of 89.8% (95% CI, 89.3%-90.3%).

A detailed second was a 14-day routine of bismuth quadruple remedy — comprised of a proton pump inhibitor, bismuth, metronidazole and tetracycline (PBMT-14) — with a hit price of 88.3% (95% CI, 87.3%-89.3%).

Among the many 5,389 sufferers who acquired salvage therapy, PBMT-14 had the best eradication price (69.3%; 95% CI, 66.9%-71.7%). No routine given as salvage therapy reached a hit price above 70%.

“Our examine recognized the 2 handiest therapies in a big neighborhood inhabitants within the U.S.,” Li instructed Healio. “The latest American Faculty of Gastroenterology pointers on H. pylori therapy advocate utilizing bismuth quadruple remedy because the first-line preliminary therapy and after a therapy failure, however this advice is predicated on information primarily obtained from Asia and Europe. Our findings help this advice by offering information from the biggest examine within the U.S.”

Eradication success charges for clarithromycin-containing regimens dropped considerably with earlier publicity to macrolide antibiotics (PACM-14: adjusted OR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.6-0.77). Likewise, earlier use of metronidazole considerably decreased success charges of most regimens containing metronidazole, together with PACM-14 (aOR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.46-0.59) and PBMT-14 (aOR= 0.61; 95% CI, 0.5-0.75).

“Sufferers who had beforehand been handled with a macrolide antibiotic or metronidazole have been considerably much less more likely to have their H. pylori eradicated once they have been handled with any regimens containing clarithromycin or metronidazole,” Li mentioned. “As well as, re-prescribing sufferers the identical routine was a lot much less more likely to efficiently eradicate the micro organism.”

The researchers acknowledged examine limitations, together with its retrospective design and uncertainty about whether or not sufferers accomplished therapy as prescribed. The evaluation additionally didn’t embrace newer antibiotic regimens, similar to rifabutin triple remedy, on account of insufficient use within the examine inhabitants.

In keeping with Li, these findings may assist information clinicians in selecting the simplest first-line therapy for H. pylori and in addition inform collection of a second routine, if wanted.

“We recommend quadruple therapies be thought-about the first-line selection for H. pylori, notably the bismuth quadruple routine, which is extremely efficient for each preliminary therapy and salvage therapy,” he added. “Clinicians ought to evaluation the affected person’s historical past of antibiotic use when choosing an H. pylori therapy routine.”

For extra info:

Dan Li, MD, could be reached at dan.x.li@kp.org.