Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 309, Issue 8012, 19 March 1977, Pages 617-619
The Lancet

H2-RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS AND ANTACIDS IN THE PREVENTION OF ACUTE GASTROINTESTINAL HÆMORRHAGE IN FULMINANT HEPATIC FAILURE: Two Controlled Trials

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(77)92055-4Get rights and content

Abstract

In two controlled trials, involving 75 patients, on the prevention of bleeding from gastric erosions in fulminant hepatic failure, antacids given four-hourly had no significant effect. Only 35% of intragastric pH recordings taken at two-hourly intervals in the treated group were maintained above 5 with the doses used, whereas this could be consistently achieved with the histamine H2-receptor antagonists, metiamide and cimetidine. In the group receiving these drugs only 1 patient out of 26 bled, compared with 13 (54%) of the controls, a highly significant difference. Blood-transfusion requirements were significantly less in those treated with H2-receptor antagonists.

References (23)

  • H.O. Conn et al.

    Gastroenterology

    (1975)
  • K.J. Ivey

    Med. Clins N. Am.

    (1974)
  • W.P. Ritchie

    Gastroenterology

    (1975)
  • W.L. Burland et al.

    Lancet

    (1975)
  • J.R.H. Forrest et al.

    Lancet

    (1975)
  • S. Safaie-Shirazi et al.

    Gastroenterology

    (1976)
  • W. Silen et al.

    Adv. intern. Med.

    (1972)
  • R. Clark et al.

    Scand. J. Gastroent.

    (1973)
  • C. Trey et al.

    Progress in Liver Disease

  • Silk, D. B. A....
  • C.E. Lucas et al.

    Archs Surg.

    (1971)
  • Cited by (183)

    • Effects of anti-ulcer drugs on delirium in trauma patients

      2023, General Hospital Psychiatry
      Citation Excerpt :

      Patients in the acute phase are always at an increased risk of stress-related gastrointestinal bleeding. H2RAs and PPIs have been used as stress ulcer prophylaxis for a long time [29]. Therefore, we believe that the patients in this study who frequently used these drugs reflect real-world clinical practice.

    • How do I manage a patient with acute liver failure?

      2019, Evidence-Based Practice of Critical Care
    • Consensus Report by the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators and Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Consortium Joint Working Committees on Supportive Care Guidelines for Management of Veno-Occlusive Disease in Children and Adolescents, Part 3: Focus on Cardiorespiratory Dysfunction, Infections, Liver Dysfunction, and Delirium

      2018, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation
      Citation Excerpt :

      Hepatic failure was an additional risk factor for bleeding reported in smaller studies [99]. Given that gastrointestinal bleeding is a recognized complication of FHF, prophylaxis with H2 receptor blocking agents has been used in critically-ill patients; their efficacy has been supported in several trials [100,101]. Limited studies of PPIs have demonstrated their effectiveness in maintaining elevated intragastric pH [102-104], and 2 small trials found no significant bleeding in PPI-treated patients on mechanical ventilation [102,103].

    • Chapter 80-Support of the failing liver

      2016, Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas: Sixth Edition
    • Acute liver failure

      2013, Best Practice and Research: Clinical Gastroenterology
    • Support of the failing liver

      2012, Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text