Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in the presence of penicillin allergy

Amit Kumar Dutta, Perminder Singh Phull* (Corresponding Author)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Therapy of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) requires a combination of antibiotics together with an acid suppressing agent; most treatment regimens include Amoxicillin as one of the antibiotics, which is an important constituent as resistance to it is low. However, allergies to the penicillin group of antibiotics are not uncommon, and treating H.pylori infection in such individuals can be challenging due to the restricted choice of regimens. The aim of this review is to summarise the evidence for therapeutic options in patients with H.pylori infection and penicillin allergy. A literature search was conducted in PubMed for English language publications using the key words ‘Helicobacter’ and ‘treatment’ or ‘therapy‘and ‘penicillin’ or ‘beta-lactam’ and ‘allergy’ or ‘anaphylaxis’. Eighteen studies were identified that specifically evaluated H.pylori treatment success in penicillin allergic patients. The number of subjects in most of them was low and many were retrospective, uncontrolled, single cohort studies. The most effective option for first-line treatment appears to be Bismuth-based quadruple therapy for 10-14 d. The evidence supports second-line treatment with Levoflaxacin-based triple therapy for 10 d. Patients with persistent H.pylori infection after 2 treatment courses should be considered for testing to confirm penicillin allergy. Further treatment should be guided by the results of H.pylori culture and sensitivity testing.

Key Words: Helicobacter pylori; Infection; Treatment; Penicillin-allergy; Stomach; Duodenum

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7661-7668
Number of pages8
JournalWorld Journal of Gastroenterology
Volume27
Issue number44
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Nov 2021

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