Combination antimicrobial therapies for the effective eradication ofHelicobacter pyloriinfection have been identified and are commercially available. Ongoing studies to improve eradication rates are based on modification of currently approved treatments. Management ofH. pyloriinfection now focuses on which patients should be treated and, by extension, which should be tested, because all patients should have a positive test result forH. pyloribefore starting antimicrobial therapy. Peptic ulcer disease was believed to be caused by acid abnormalities until about two decades ago, whenH. pyloriwas successfully cultured; the clinical records of an early proponent of an infectious cause of peptic ulcer disease were recently discovered. The role ofH. pyloriinfection in gastroesophageal disease and in ulcer disease associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have become intensely investigated topics. Consensus conferences among pediatric physicians are establishing practice guidelines forH. pylorimanagement in children and adolescents.
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