ISSN:
1365-2036
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
In a randomly allocated, double-blind, endoscopically controlled study, 98 patients with gastric ulcers were treated with either (a synthetic prostaglandin of E2-like structure) enprostil 70 μg b.d. or 150 mg ranitidine b.d. The healing rates at 4, 8 and 12 weeks were enprostil 57, 91 and 94% and for ranitidine 55, 88 and 98%, respectively. Following ulcer healing, half the patients were followed for 1 year without treatment and the others were given 70 μg enprostil nocte. Endoscopy was repeated in both groups after 6 and 12 months or if dyspeptic symptoms returned. The recurrence rate without maintenance at 6 and 12 months, following ranitidine therapy, was 67 and 75%, and after enprostil therapy 50 and 61%, respectively. On maintenance enprostil, the recurrence rates were 28 and 40%. Forty-seven per cent of patients who completed maintenance treatment had a proven ulcer recurrence within 6 months of stopping therapy. Diarrhoea was a common sideeffect of enprostil therapy. Seven patients were withdrawn because of diarrhoea or abdominal pain.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.1990.tb00511.x
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