Abstract
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common chronic bacterial infection in the world affecting over 50% of the world's population. H. pylori is a grade I carcinogen, responsible for the development of 89 % of noncardia gastric cancers. In the present study we analyzed the data for H. pylori eradication treatments in Slovenia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Slovenia is a part of the European Registry on Helicobacter pylori Management from the beginning. In seven medical institutions data for H. pylori eradication treatments was collected for 1774 patients from April 16(th) 2013 to May 15(th) 2016. For further modified intention to treat (mITT) analysis 1519 patients were eligible and for per protocol (PP) analysis 1346 patients. RESULTS: Patients' dropout was 11.4%. Eradication rate for 7 day triple therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) + Clarithromycin (C) + Amoxicillin (A) was 88.7% PP and 72.0% mITT; for PPI + C + Metronidazole (M) 85.2% PP and 84.4% mITT. Second line 14 day therapy PPI + A + Levofloxacin had 92.3% eradication rate PP and 87.1% mITT. Ten to fourteen day Bismuth quadruple therapy was the therapy in difficult to treat patients. At the end all patients that adhered to prescribed regimens were cured of their H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: High dropout rate deserves further analysis. Slovenia is still a country with < 15% H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin, triple therapy with PPI plus two antibiotics reaches PP eradication rate > 85%, but mITT eradication rates are suboptimal.