Antimicrobial Resistance and the Successful Eradication of Helicobacter pylori-Induced Gastroduodenal Ulcers in Vietnamese Children

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infections induce chronic gastric mucosal inflammation and peptic ulcer disease, and eradication is recommended. OBJECTIVE: To investigate antibiotic resistance and H. pylori eradication rates in children with gastroduodenal ulcers in Vietnam. METHODS: We performed gastroduodenal endoscopies, H. pylori cultures, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (clarithromycin, amoxicillin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and levofloxacin) In children with gastroduodenal ulcers at Children’s Hospital 2 from November 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. RESULTS: A total of 76 participants were studied, with an average age of 9.3 ± 2.8 years (range: 4–15 years), including 52.6% males and 47.4% females. The antibiotic resistance rates were clarithromycin, 92.1%; amoxicillin, 50%; levofloxacin, 31.6%; metronidazole, 14.5%; and tetracycline, 0%. The successful eradication rate was 44.7%. Bismuth increased the eradication rate by 3.69-fold that without bismuth (p = 0.030). The eradication rate of levofloxacin was high (100%, p = 0.038) compared with other antibiotics. The effectiveness of high-dose amoxicillin in cases with >50% H. pylori amoxicillin resistance was only 32.6% (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Increased antibiotic resistance among H. pylori resulted in decreased eradication efficacy, which was 44.7% in this study. Drug combinations, such as levofloxacin and bismuth, can increase the H. pylori eradication efficacy in children.