Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common chronic bacterial infection, affecting approximately half of the world’s population. H. pylori is a Class I carcinogen according to the World Health Organization, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has linked it to 90% of stomach cancer cases worldwide. The overall pattern points to a yearly reduction in eradication rates of H. pylori with the likelihood of success further decreasing after each unsuccessful therapeutic effort. Antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori is a major public health concern and is a predominant cause attributed to eradication failure. As a result, determining H. pylori’s antibiotic susceptibility prior to the administration of eradication regimens becomes increasingly critical. Detecting H. pylori and its antimicrobial resistance has traditionally been accomplished by time-consuming culture and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. The resistance of H. pylori to different antibiotics is caused by various molecular mechanisms, and advances in sequencing technology have greatly facilitated the testing of antibiotic susceptibility to H. pylori. This review will summarize H. pylori antibiotic resistance patterns, mechanisms, and clinical implications. We will also review the pros and cons of current antibiotic susceptibility testing methods. Along with a comparison of tailored susceptibility-guided regimens and empirical therapy based on the latest evidence, an evidence-based approach to such situations will be explored.

Introduction: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is one of the commonest gastrointestinal emergencies encountered by physicians and surgeons. The spectrum of upper gastrointestinal bleeding varies from region to region and depends on the status of the center in healthcare hierarchy. Aim: To determine the etiology of UGIB at a gastroenterology clinic in coastal Orissa and to compare it with other regions of India. Methods: Six hundred and eight consecutive patients with UGIB reporting to a gastroenterology outpatient clinic were subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) to find out the etiology. The clinical profile and endoscopic findings were analyzed and compared with the data on UGIB from other regions of the country. Results: The mean age of patients was 42±18.2 years. Majority of them were males (85.53%) and male: female ratio was 6:1. The commonest cause of UGIB was duodenal ulcer (DU) which accounted for 57.57% cases. Portal hypertension was responsible for bleed in only 12.83%. Benign prepyloric ulcer accounted for 6.41% cases and concomitant duodenal ulcer and benign pyloric ulcer were seen in 3.61%. Gastric ulcer was responsible for 1.8% only. Neoplasm accounted for 7.73% of cases. Other less common causes were erosive gastritis (1.8%), Mallory Weiss tear (1.8%), and retch gastropathy (1.1%). Non steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID) ingestion was reported in 7.56% of cases. Melena was the commonest mode of presentation. Surprisingly, over two third cases of DU bleeds were not associated with abdominal pain. Conclusions: Bleeding duodenal ulcer was the commonest cause of UGIB in coastal Odisha. This is in contrast to reports from other parts of India, where variceal bleeding is the predominant etiology. The differences could be due to the reason that the studies which have portrayed variceal bleeding as the commonest cause of UGIB reflect the etiology of bleed of only severe cases which were referred to these centers - all of whom needed urgent hospitalization. The figures from our study are true reflection of the real etiological spectrum of UGIB in this region.