RANITIDINE IN THE TREATMENT OF GASTRIC-ULCERATION

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 61  (5) , 155-158
Abstract
Patients (72) with endoscopically proven gastric ulcers were entered into a prospective controlled trial to assess the efficacy of ranitidine and cimetidine in ulcer healing. All patients were biopsied on entry and at subsequent endoscopies. After exclusion of 7 patients during the 1st mo. of treatment, the remaining 65 patients, 47 males and 18 females, mean age 48.2 .+-. 1.5 yr, at 1 mo. had a healing rate of 47 and 52%, respectively. The nonhealers continued their treatment for another 4 wk. This increased the healing rate of 77 and 76%, respectively. If the defaulters and poor compliers are withdrawn, the healing rate rises of 58 and 57% at 4 wk and to 91 and 79% at 8 wk, respectively. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding initial ulcer size and severity of dyspepsia. Antacid consumption during the study was comparable. The initial size of the ulcers which failed to heal after 4 wk of treatment tended to be larger than those which healed (P < 0.05), but smoking did not appear to influence ulcer healing. No obvious side effects or evidence of dysplasia were found. Evidently ranitidine is at least as effective as cimetidine in gastric ulcer healing.