New study shows that eradicating H. pylori is becoming more difficult

H. pylori is a bacteria found in the stomach that is responsible for peptic ulcer disease. In the last decade millions of Americans have be treated with antibiotics to eradicate this bacteria. Typically patient’s gastric distress symptoms disappear once the bacteria are eradicated. However, eradicating the bacteria is becoming more difficult because of the growing resistance to commonly used antibiotics. For example, levofloxacin was shown to be ineffective against the H. pylori 31.3 percent of the time. This means that if you have been treated for H. pylori in the past few years and still have gastric problems it is possible that the therapy was unsuccessful. The urea breath test is a very accurate method to determine whether your H. pylori eradication was unsuccessful.

Ref: Monthly Prescribing Reference
http://www.empr.com/medical-news/new-concerning-findings-regarding-h-pylori-resistance-to-antibiotics/article/443563/