Management of Helicobacter pylori infection: the Maastricht VI/Florence consensus report
- Study type
- Clinical guideline
- Study name
- Maastricht VI/Florence
- Design
- Expert consensus report (sixth Maastricht/Florence edition, 2021) with work in five working groups and a final consensus vote by all members
- Sample size
- 41 experts from 29 countries
- Source
- Gut · 2022
In plain words
The bacterium Helicobacter pylori causes infection and long-term inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) and is now officially recognised as an infectious disease. According to this international consensus report, in principle everyone who has the infection should be treated. Treatments must be chosen carefully because the bacterium is becoming more resistant to antibiotics. Treating this infection is one of the ways to prevent stomach cancer. Make decisions about testing and treatment with your doctor.
Key points
Key guideline recommendations
- Level of recommendation not stated in the abstract
Helicobacter pylori infection is formally recognised as an infectious disease (included in ICD-11), which in principle leads to the recommendation that all infected patients should be treated.
Study population
Patients with Helicobacter pylori infection and the associated gastritis in a wide range of clinical situations. Topics include indications and clinical associations, diagnosis, treatment, gastric cancer prevention and interaction with the gut microbiota.
Endpoints
This document is not a clinical trial and has no endpoint. Its aim is to provide recommendations based on the best available evidence in five areas: (1) indications and associations, (2) diagnosis, (3) treatment, (4) prevention/gastric cancer and (5) Helicobacter pylori and the gut microbiota.
Safety and side effects
The abstract gives no information on adverse events. It only mentions the role of Helicobacter pylori treatments and antibiotics and their effect on the gut microbiota. Details are in the full text of the report.
Clinical significance and place in guidelines
This consensus report, the sixth Maastricht/Florence edition, provides an updated reference for diagnosis, first-line and rescue treatment, gastric cancer prevention and microbiota-related considerations in Helicobacter pylori infection. The abstract emphasises treating all infected patients (in principle), the need to pay attention to antibiotic resistance and the use of susceptibility testing and molecular technologies. The exact recommendations and the level of evidence for each are not given in the abstract and should be checked in the full text. Consistency with national and local guidelines should also be checked.
Limitations
The abstract states only the general framework of the report and lacks the specific recommendations, levels of evidence and strength of recommendations; these must be taken from the full text. This document is based on expert consensus and does not draw its conclusions from a single trial. According to the published conflict-of-interest statement, some authors had relationships with pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies.
This summary was prepared by the editorial team from the published paper; the original paper is the final reference. Read the original abstract on PubMed.