Furazolidone combination therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection in the United States.
BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance has begun to impair the ability to cure Helicobacter pylori infection. AIM: To evaluate furazolidone as a component of combination therapies for treatment of H. pylori infection in the United States. METHODS: Patients with active H. pylori infection received furazolidone combination therapy for 14 days (furazolidone 100 mg and tetracycline 500 mg t.d.s.; omeprazole 20 mg o.d. in the morning and, depending on the pre-treatment antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, 500 mg of metronidazole or clarithromycin t.d.s.). RESULTS: A total of 27 patients received the metronidazole containing combination (cure rate 100%) and seven received the clarithromycin combination (cure rate 86%). Overall the cure rates for intention-to-treat was 97% (95% CI: 85% to 100%). The single failure took the clarithromycin containing combination for only 2 days (per protocol cure rate = 100%). Side-effects were common and led to discontinuation of therapy in 26% of patients. An attempt to eliminate metronidazole and clarithromycin and use furazolidone, tetracycline, and lansoprazole b.d. produced an unsatisfactory cure rate of 72%. CONCLUSION: Furazolidone combination therapy appears to be effective. Additional studies with different antimicrobial combinations and duration of therapy are warranted.