Reducing The Amount of Unnecessary Proton Pump Inhibitor Use After H. pylori Treatment

H. pylori (Heliobacter pylori) is a type of bacteria that infects your stomach and leads to gastritis and gastric ulcers due to inflammation in the duodenum and upper digestive tract. After diagnosis treatment involves proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use with a 10-14 day course of antibiotics. After treatment, resolution of symptoms, and confirmed eradication of H. Pylori the use of proton pump inhibitors is generally not recommended unless certain criteria are made. Almost half of all African Americans have the bacteria. For people who come to the U.S. from developing countries, at least 50% of Latinos and 50% of people from Eastern Europe have H. pylori. (Bravo et al) Our urban primary care practice in urban Jersey City NJ has a high rate of gastritis from H. pylori. Due to our high risk population we thought it was an opportunity for quality improvement for better evidence based patient care [1].