2017 Volume 91 Issue 1 Pages 52-56
Purpose : Upper endoscopy has been performed at our hospital since February 2013. In cases in which Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) -associated gastritis was suspected, H. pylori testing and eradication therapy were covered by national health insurance. We aimed to examine changes in digestive symptoms before and after eradication therapy for H. pylori-associated gastritis. Participants and Methods : Of 61 patients who were diagnosed with atrophic gastritis by esophagogastroduodenoscopy according to the Kimura-Takemoto classification and who were subsequently diagnosed with H. pylori infection using the urea breath test from March 2013 to March 2017, 60 who achieved successful primary and secondary eradication covered by the Japanese national health scheme were selected for the study. The patients were interviewed both before and after eradication therapy, and the Global Overall Symptom (GOS) scale was used to evaluate their digestive symptoms. H. pylori eradication regimens were composed of the followings : 7-day first-line therapy ［esomeprazole (EPZ) 20 mg b.i.d. , amoxicillin (AMPC) 750 mg b.i.d. , and clarithromycin (CAM) 400 mg b.i.d.］ and 7-day second-line therapy ［EPZ 20 mg b.i.d. , AMPC 750 mg b.i.d. , and metronidazole (MNZ) 250 mg b.i.d.］. Results : The success rates of the eradication regimens were 67.2% (41/61) in the first-line therapy, 94.4% (17/18) in the second-line therapy. The GOS scores after eradication therapy significantly decreased in stomach oppression, stomach ache, heartburn, feeling of gastric distension, loss of appetite, belching, acid reflux, and nausea (p＜0.05 each) . Conclusion : H. pylori eradication therapy conferred a benefit of quality of life (QOL) improvement because stomach ache, stomach oppression, heartburn, feeling of gastric distension, loss of appetite, belching, and gastroesophageal reflux, nausea were significantly relieved.
