Summary: Background: Tegoprazan is a novel potassium‐competitive acid blocker that has a fast onset of action and can control gastric pH for a prolonged period, which could offer clinical benefit in acid‐related disorders.Aim: To confirm the non‐inferiority of tegoprazan to esomeprazole in patients with erosive oesophagitis (EE).Methods: In this multicentre, randomised, double‐blind, parallel‐group comparison study, 302 Korean patients with endoscopically confirmed EE (Los Angeles Classification Grades A‐D) were randomly allocated to either tegoprazan (50 or 100 mg) or esomeprazole (40 mg) treatment groups for 4 or 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the cumulative proportion of patients with healed EE confirmed by endoscopy up to 8 weeks from treatment initiation. Symptoms, safety and tolerability were also assessed.Results: The cumulative healing rates at week 8 were 98.9% (91/92), 98.9% (90/91) and 98.9% (87/88) for tegoprazan 50 mg, tegoprazan 100 mg and esomeprazole 40 mg, respectively. Both doses of tegoprazan were non‐inferior to esomeprazole 40 mg. The incidence of adverse events was comparable among the groups, and tegoprazan was well‐tolerated.Conclusion: Once daily administration of tegoprazan 50 or 100 mg showed non‐inferior efficacy in healing EE and tolerability to that of esomeprazole 40 mg.

Introduction: The eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori have decreased in Korea although the prevalence of this bacterium has also decreased. Antibiotic resistance is likely to be a crucial factor in H. pylori eradication success, and we therefore mapped these resistance patterns nationwide in Korea.Materials and Methods: Five hundred and ninety adult subjects were prospectively enrolled from 2017 to 2018 from 15 centers across six geographic areas of Korea. A total of 580 biopsy tissues had been sampled from these patients during an upper endoscopy and were frozen at −80°C and delivered to a central laboratory. The agar dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin for each H. pylori isolate.Results: The culture success rate was 60.2% (349/580). Resistance rates against clarithromycin, metronidazole, amoxicillin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 17.8%, 29.5%, 9.5%, 0%, 37.0%, and 37.0%, respectively. The geographic distribution of metronidazole and quinolone resistance was highly variable. Some subjects had multiple H. pylori strains in the antrum and body of the stomach and showed a heterogeneous resistance profile between these anatomic areas. The H. pylori multidrug resistance (MDR) rate was 25.2% (88/349) among amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and quinolone and 11.2% (39/349) among four of these major antibiotics except for quinolone. The Seoul and Chungcheong areas showed a relatively lower MDR rate.Conclusion: The antibiotic resistance of H. pylori differs by drug and geographic area in Korea. Detailed nationwide antibiotic resistance mapping is needed to develop an effective H. pylori eradication strategy.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a relatively safe procedure; however, acute and chronic complications of PEG have been reported. We aimed to determine risk factors associated with complications and 30-day mortality after PEG, based on 11 years of experience at a single tertiary hospital. In total, 401 patients who underwent first PEG insertion at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between January 2005 and December 2015 were eligible. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine clinical characteristics and outcomes of 139 and 262 patients who underwent pull-type and introducer-type PEG, respectively. The median age of the overall population was 68 years, and the median body mass index was 19.5 kg/m2. Acute and chronic complications developed in 96 (23.9%) and 105 (26.2%) patients. Acute ileus and chronic tube obstruction were significantly more frequent in the introducer-type PEG group (p = 0.033 and 0.001, respectively). The 30-day mortality rate was 5.0% (median survival: 10.5 days). Multivariate analysis revealed that underlying malignancy was a predictor of acute complications; age ≥ 70 years and diabetes mellitus were predictors of chronic complications. The median follow-up was 354 days. Neurologic disease and malignancy were the most common indications for PEG. Neurologic diseases were classified into two groups: stroke and the other neurologic disease group (including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, neuromuscular disease, and hypoxic brain damage). Multivariate analysis showed that 30-day mortality was significantly lower in the other neurologic disease group and higher in patients with platelet count < 100,000/μL, and C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 5 mg/dL. PEG is a relatively safe and feasible procedure, but it was associated with significantly higher early mortality rate in patients with platelet count < 100,000/μL or CPR≥5mg/dL, and lower early mortality rate in neurologic disease group including dementia, Parkinson's disase, neuromuscular disease, and hypoxic brain damage. In addition, acute complications in patients with underlying malignancy, and chronic complications in patients aged ≥70 and those with diabetes mellitus should be considered during and after PEG.

Background: Helicobacter pylori resistance to antibiotics commonly used in eradication regimens is increasing dramatically in many locations; new strategies are needed to manage this infectious disease. Objective: This study’s aim was to collect and update information on antibiotic resistance (AR) rates in H. pylori as well as current strategies for H. pylori management, including public health issues, from a global perspective. Design: An international survey was conducted in 31 countries on 6 continents to address key issues concerning the management of H. pylori -related AR. Individual aspects included the prevalence of AR for specific antibiotics, antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) in different healthcare systems, availability of drugs, reimbursement issues and strategies for H. pylori AR surveillance. Results: Resistance to the most effective antibiotics used in H. pylori eradication regimens is increasing globally, with clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance exceeding 15% in 24/31 and 18/31 countries, respectively. Amoxicillin remains an exception, with resistance rates under 2% in 14/31 countries; though African countries have reported amoxicillin resistance rates of over 90%. Bismuth-based treatment regimens are the most effective and are recommended as first-line treatment in several countries. However, more than 1 billion inhabitants worldwide have no access to bismuth-based regimens. PCR-based tests for AR are used in 16/26 countries but are reimbursed in only 4, while next generation sequencing-based tests are available, but not reimbursed, in 3 countries. In 22/26 countries only culture-based methods are available (reimbursed in 9/26 countries). AR surveillance programmes have only been established in 4/26 countries. Therefore, in most countries, empirical therapy with the most effective local regimen available locally is practiced. Conclusion: The dramatic global rise in H. pylori antibiotic resistance requires an urgent revision of current management strategies. Possible solutions include AST-based selection of effective treatment regimens, identification of novel combinations of existing drugs and exploration of novel drugs.