| Theme |
Best Available Managements of Helicobacter pylori Gastritis |
| Title |
Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Super Elderly Patients |
| Author |
Kengo Tokunaga |
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Akifumi Tanaka |
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Shinʼichi Takahashi |
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Current guidelines for the management of Helicobacter pylori infection do not provide an age limit for eradication therapy. As part of the decision making process for administering this therapy, physicians should take into account patientsʼ individual characteristics including social age. The following questions need to be answered for the benefit of patients : 1)Is eradication therapy safe for all age groups ? 2) Is eradication therapy effective in extending the patientsʼ life expectancy if it is successful in preventing gastric cancer ? 3)What the estimated impact may be on the patientʼs well-being may be in consideration of both the patientʼs social age and lifetime prognosis based on characteristics including general condition and underlying diseases. 4) Is eradication therapy effective in preventing NSAID ulcerative disease in all patients, regardless of the type or drug dosage ? 5) Is there any risk of drug interactions with concurrent administration of other drugs ? In addition, physicians should explain the following limitations and potential adverse effects on patients when making the following decisions : 1) Deciding when sufficient evidence that eradication therapy is effective in preventing gastric cancer in super elderly patients. 2) Deciding when dosages of antibiotics may have potential adverse effects. 3) Deciding when there is a potential risk of reflux esophagitis occurring after eradication therapy. |