Efficacy of short-duration Furazolidone in two different quadruple regimens for H. pylori eradication

Objective: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of using high dose Furazolidone just during the first week of two different quadruple regimens in eradicating H. pylori. Methodology: One-hundred sixty patients with duodenal ulcer and positive H. pylori infection were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A received (OAM-F) omeprazole (20 mg BID), amoxicillin (1gr BID), metronidazole (500mg BID) for two weeks and Furazolidone (200 mg BID) just during the first week. Patients in group B received (OAB-F) omeprazole (20 mg BID), amoxicillin (1 gr BID), bismuth subcitrate (240 mg BID) for two weeks and Furazolidone (200 mg BID) in the first week. Results: The eradication rates by per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were 86.36% and 80% in group A and 90.27% and 86.3% in group B, respectively. Severe side effects of the drugs were more prevalent in group A compared with group B (12.8% against 2.5% ) Conclusions: One-week Furazolidone combined with two-week Omeprazole, amoxicillin and bismuth subcitrate is a safe and cost effective regimen to eradicate of H pylori infection in Iran.