Clinical and economic impact of "triple therapy" for Helicobacter pylori eradication on peptic ulcer disease in Australia.

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori infection has had a major impact on the global health of billions of people. Triple therapy was extensively used in Australia by 1986 for H pylori eradication after its discovery in 1984 and was critical in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with this infection.

AIMS

This study analyzed hospital admission, mortality, and therapeutic data to determine the economic and clinical impact that antibiotic triple therapy had on peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in Australia.

METHODS

An analysis of indirect and direct cost-savings in Australia between 1990 and 2015 associated with triple therapy and the impact on PUD mortality and hospital admissions.

RESULTS

The direct and indirect impacts of PUD treated by triple therapy between 1990 and 2015 suggest that triple therapy is likely to have prevented 18 665 deaths, and saved 258 887 life years and 33 776 productive life years. The total savings, over the 26-year period, including direct and indirect costs, are calculated to be $10.03 billion, equating to an average annual saving of $393.419 million.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the enormous benefits to Australia's health care of the discovery of triple therapy, a relatively low-cost antibiotic regimen which brought considerable savings via the reduction in morbidity (hospital admissions) and mortality related to PUD. It is likely that benefits of similar scale occurred internationally.