[Antimicrobial resistance testing of H. pylori epsilometer test and disk diffusion test]

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori significantly impacts treatment success.
• Current susceptibility testing methods like agar and broth dilution are impractical for routine use.
• There is a need for simple, inexpensive, and standardized H. pylori antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the disk diffusion test as a practical method for assessing H. pylori antimicrobial resistance.
• To compare the efficacy of the disk diffusion test with the E-test for metronidazole and clarithromycin resistance.
• To determine if the disk diffusion method is suitable for routine screening of H. pylori isolates.

Main Methods:

• Susceptibility testing of 246 H. pylori isolates against metronidazole and clarithromycin.
• Utilized both E-test and disk diffusion methods for comparison.
• Analyzed the correlation between the results obtained from both testing techniques.

Main Results:

• The disk diffusion test showed strong correlation with the E-test results.
• Disk diffusion is a cost-effective and simple method for screening antimicrobial resistance.
• Identified resistance patterns in H. pylori isolates against key antibiotics.

Conclusions:

• The disk diffusion test is a reliable and practical method for routine screening of H. pylori antimicrobial resistance.
• This method offers an advantageous alternative to more complex techniques.
• Facilitates better management of H. pylori infections through accessible resistance testing.