• Aryan Salahi-Niri, Ali Nabavi-Rad, Tanya Marie Monaghan, Theodore Rokkas, Michael Doulberis, Amir Sadeghi, Mohammad Reza Zali, Yoshio Yamaoka, Evelina Tacconelli, and Abbas Yadegar.
• Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
• Bmc Med. 2024 Dec 23; 22 (1): 598598.

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori infection causes gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. The infection is typically acquired in childhood and persists throughout life. The major impediment to successful therapy is antibiotic resistance. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively assess the global prevalence of antibiotic resistance in pediatric H. pylori infection.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of publication databases that assessed H. pylori resistance rates to clarithromycin, metronidazole, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline in children. The WHO region classification was used to group pooled primary and secondary resistance estimates along with 95% confidence interval (CI). H. pylori antibiotic resistance rates were retrieved and combined with odds ratios (95% CI) to investigate the global prevalence and temporal trends. Subgroup analysis of the prevalence of antibiotic resistance was conducted by country, age groups, and susceptibility testing methods.ResultsAmong 1417 records obtained initially, 152 studies were selected for eligibility assessment after applying exclusion criteria in multiple steps. Ultimately, 63 studies involving 15,953 individuals were included comprising data from 28 countries in 5 WHO regions. The primary resistance rates were metronidazole 35.3% (5482/15,529, 95% CI: 28.7-42.6), clarithromycin 32.6% (5071/15,555, 95% CI: 27.7-37.9), tetracycline 2.1% (148/7033, 95% CI: 1.3-3.6), levofloxacin 13.2% (1091/8271, 95% CI: 9.3-18.4), and amoxicillin 4.8% (495/10305, 95% CI: 2.5-8.8). Raising antibiotic resistance was detected in most WHO regions.ConclusionsThe escalating trend of H. pylori antibiotic resistance in children warrants urgent attention globally. National and regional surveillance networks are required for antibiotic stewardship in children infected with H. pylori.© 2024. The Author(s).

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