Background: Manychangeshavebeenmadetotheguidelinesonrescuetreatmentsfor Helicobacter pylori infection due to their poor effectiveness in clinical practice.Objective: To evaluate the use and effectiveness of different empirical rescue therapies for H. pylori infection in a specialised consultation unit over 18 years.
Methods:Design: analysis of a systematic, prospective, single-centre data record.Patients: consecutive patients in whom at least one H. pylori eradication regimen had failed. Intervention: consecutive rescue therapies were prescribed empirically according to the best scientific evidence. Helicobacter pylori eradication was defined by a negative 13 C-ureabreathtest.Results: A total of 1200 subjects were included. Eleven different therapies were used during the study period, being the seven most common: proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-levofloxacin (LEV)-amoxicillin (AMO); PPI-bismuth(BIS)-LEV-AMO; PPI-moxifloxacin-AMO; ranitidine bismuth citrate-tetracycline-metronidazole; classical BIS (BIS)-containing quadruple therapy; PPI-Pylera ® and PPI-rifabutin (RIF)-AMO. The effectivenessofthesecond-,third-,fourth-andfifth-linerescuetherapieswas77%, 71%,60%and58%,respectively.Thecumulativeeffectivenessafterfiveconsecutive therapieswas99.8%.Thethreemosteffectivesecond-andthird-linetherapieswere: PPI-Pylera ® (96%and82%,respectively),classicalBIS-containingquadrupletherapy (92%and89%)andPPI-BIS-LEV-AMO(88%and84%). Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori eradication can be achieved virtually in all cases by the administration of several consecutive empirical therapies. The most effective second-linestrategyistheadministrationofaBIS-containingquadrupletherapy(either classical, Pylera ® or with LEV-AMO). The most effective third-line strategy is theadministrationofanotpreviouslyusedBIS-containingquadrupletherapy.Agood alternativeasafourth-linetherapyistheadministrationofPPI-RIF-AMO-BIS.