Homan Matjaž, Mišak Zrinjka, Megraud Francis, Kori Michal
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Referral Center for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Zagreb, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Helicobacter. 2025 Jul-Aug;30(4):e70063. doi: 10.1111/hel.70063.
Helicobacter pylori infection in children and adults differs in several aspects such as the natural history, prevalence, the clinical presentations and complications, antibiotic resistance rates, treatment options, and the success rates of treatment. Due to all the abovementioned differences, management guidelines and recommendations are different between children and adults. In parallel to the steady decrease in the rate of H. pylori infection in the Western world in recent years, both in children and adults, antibiotic resistance rates have risen to alarming rates. The risk and benefits of eradication treatment, especially in children, must be considered when deciding "to treat or not." The risks include the negative effects of antibiotics, treatment failure, and reinfection as well as the possibility of losing the "protective effect" of H. pylori on atopy, allergy, and possibly on other gastrointestinal diseases. On the other hand, there are also many benefits of eradication therapy such as prevention of gastric complication and associated non-gastric complications as well as reduction of parental anxiety of nontreatment. This review summarizes the differences related to H. pylori in children versus adults and the risks and benefits of treatment in children.
儿童和成人幽门螺杆菌感染在自然史、患病率、临床表现及并发症、抗生素耐药率、治疗选择和治疗成功率等几个方面存在差异。由于上述所有差异,儿童和成人的管理指南及建议有所不同。近年来,与西方世界儿童和成人幽门螺杆菌感染率稳步下降并行的是,抗生素耐药率已升至惊人水平。在决定“是否治疗”时,必须考虑根除治疗的风险和益处,尤其是对儿童而言。风险包括抗生素的负面影响、治疗失败、再感染以及失去幽门螺杆菌对特应性、过敏以及可能对其他胃肠道疾病的“保护作用”的可能性。另一方面,根除治疗也有许多益处,如预防胃部并发症及相关非胃部并发症,以及减轻家长对不治疗的焦虑。本综述总结了儿童与成人幽门螺杆菌感染的差异以及儿童治疗的风险和益处。