Changes in Antibiotic Susceptibility ofHelicobacter pyloriin the Course of Eight Years in the Zaanstreek Region in The Netherlands

Background . Failure of anti- Helicobacter therapy is the result noncompliance and resistance to the prescribed antibiotics. Aim . Antibiotic susceptibility of H. pylori was determined in native Dutch patients and patients of Turkish descent. Methods . In a period of eight years a total of 925 strains of H. pylori were cultured. Bacterial susceptibility was successfully determined in 746 (80.6%) of these isolates. Three hundred and nine strains (33%) originated from patients of Turkish descent. Results . In total clarithromycin resistance was found in 146 (20.5%) strains, metronidazole resistance in 147 (19.9%) strains. Amoxicillin resistance was found to be present in five strains. There is a slight but nonsignificant decrease in the percentage of clarithromycin-resistant strains in the consecutive period of eight years from 20% to 18%. No changes were seen in the consecutive years in metronidazole resistance. The number of clarithromycin-resistant strains decreased in Turkish patients, not in native Dutch patients. Conclusion . Resistance did not change significantly in consecutive years. But clinicians should take not only the antibiotic history into account but also ethnicity before prescribing metronidazole or clarithromycin.