This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

H. pylori eradication in NSAID - associated ulcers

Authoring team

This issue has been addressed in a Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin review (1):

  • if a patient is taking NSAID therapy then the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of developing gastric or duodenal ulcers
    • however, there is a lack of clear evidence or consensus among specialists on the value of eradicating H. pylori in patients with, or at high risk of developing, such ulcers
  • if starting patients on NSAID therapy for the first time who have dyspepsia or a previous history of ulceration, testing for and eradicating H. pylori is a reasonable management strategy
  • if a patient develops a gastric or duodenal ulcer associated whilst taking NSAIDs then s/he should ideally stop the NSAID and have ulcer-healing treatment
    • regarding eradication of H. pylori when there is peptic ulceration after NSAID or aspirin therapy:
      • no convincing evidence that eradication of H. pylori infection promotes ulcer-healing
      • if NSAIDs or aspirin are to be continued in those with a recent history of ulceration, treatment with a proton pump inhibitor is an important precaution and the patient should be monitored carefully for recurrence
      • if the NSAID is continued with a proton pump inhibitor then, despite being H. pylori positive, eradication therapy appears to provide no additional benefit.
      • some gastroenterologists specialists routinely test and eradicate H. pylori infection once the ulcer has healed - however, there is no published evidence to confirm the value of this approach

Reference:

  1. Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (2005); 43:33-40.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.