Treating Helicobacter pylori effectively while minimizing misuse of antibiotics

Helicobacter pylori infection is an infectious
disease and should be treated
like one, with due consideration of antibiotic
resistance and stewardship.1–4
This was the consensus of the 2015 Kyoto
H pylori conference,2 and it signaled a fundamental
shift in thinking. Up to now, H pylori
treatment has not been based on infectious
disease principles, leading to suboptimal results
and antibiotic resistance. In addition, the
conference recommended that H pylori infection
be treated whenever it is found unless
there are compelling reasons not to.
Here we review current and possible future
regimens for eradicating H pylori that we hope
will be more effective and will lead to less resistance
than in the past.