Profile of the resistance to macrolides and imidazoles of Helicobacter pylori in a sample of the Portuguese population.

Abstract

We studied the sensitivity of H. pylori to clarithromycin and metronidazole, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of H. pylori culture, urease test and histology on a sample of 166 Portuguese patients. We observed a prevalence of 5.8% resistance to clarithromycin and 60% resistance to metronidazole. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnostic tests were: culture 98% and 100%, urease test 98% and 91%, histology 50% and 95%, respectively.