Follow up after successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori: symptoms and reinfection.

The important long-term outcomes after Helicobacter pylori eradication are the proportion of patients with continuing symptoms, and the rate of recrudescence of the infection. Patients with proven H. pylori infection prior to treatment and a negative urea breath test at least 4 weeks after completing treatment were invited to return for a further urea breath test and a questionnaire. There were 167 patients and the mean interval since the post-treatment urea breath test was 16 months. The endoscopic diagnoses were duodenal ulcer 72, duodenitis 17, gastric ulcer 26, normal or oesophagitis 52. The ethnic groups were European 86, Maori 25, Pacific Island 28 and other ethnic groups 28. Ten patients (6%) had a positive urea breath test at follow up. The proportion of patients showing recrudescence of H. pylori was related to the delta value (delta) of the post-treatment urea breath test: delta 0-2, five of 146 (3.4%); delta 2-3, two of 18 (11%); and delta 3-4, three of five (60%). A symptom questionnaire was given to 147/157 patients with a persistently negative breath test; 60 had no symptoms, 31 had heartburn, 30 had epigastric pain, 15 had both heartburn and epigastric pain, and 11 had nausea or other symptoms. There were fewer symptoms in patients with gastric ulcer (GU) compared with patients with duodenal ulcer (DU) and non-ulcer patients. Twenty-four patients (16%) were taking H2-antagonists (including seven DU and five GU), 15 were taking antacids and four were taking omeprazole. There was no difference in medication use between diagnostic groups. Eighteen of the 46 patients (39%) with heartburn stated that this was a new symptom. Heartburn was a common symptom for duodenal ulcer patients after eradication (24/74, 32%). A second urea breath test 6-12 months after eradication is required to definitely prove eradication. Patients with a breath test delta value of 2-4 should have a repeat urea breath test.