We conducted a randomized, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial to determine whether lansoprazole was superior to continued therapy with histamine H2-receptor antagonist therapy in healing erosive reflux esophagitis.Investigators from nine medical centers enrolled 159 patients with endoscopically documented esophageal erosions and/or ulcers that had failed to heal with 12 or more wk of at least standard dosages of histamine H2-receptor antagonist therapy. Patients received ranitidine 150 mg b.i.d. for 8 wk or lansoprazole 30 mg for 4 wk followed by either lansoprazole 30 mg or lansoprazole 60 mg for another 4 wk of treatment. Patients underwent endoscopy at screening and at weeks 2, 4, and 8.At 2, 4, and 8 wk of therapy, healing rates were significantly higher in the lansoprazole group compared with the ranitidine group (p < 0.001). By 8 wk, 84% of the lansoprazole group were healed as opposed to only 32% of the ranitidine group. Lansoprazole was superior to ranitidine in providing relief of upper abdominal burning and daytime heartburn (p < 0.001) and reducing the need for antacids (p < 0.001). Lansoprazole patients had less interference with sleep and less day time drowsiness than ranitidine patients (p = 0.05). The percentages of patients with adverse events were similar in both groups. Fasting serum gastrin levels at weeks 4 and 8 were significantly higher in the lansoprazole group compared with the ranitidine group.Eight weeks of lansoprazole therapy is safe, superior to continued ranitidine therapy, and effective in healing more than 80% of patients with erosive reflux esophagitis previously resistant to histamine H2-receptor antagonist therapy.
This randomized, double-blind study was designed to determine whether the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole could prevent relapse among patients with healed erosive reflux esophagitis that had been resistant to healing with at least 3 months of H2-receptor antagonist therapy.By the end of the year, 13% of placebo patients remained healed compared with 67% of lansoprazole 15 mg and 55% of lansoprazole 30 mg patients (p < 0.001 for time to first relapse). All placebo patients were symptomatic by the end of the study whereas only one-third of the lansoprazole patients was symptomatic at the end of the 12-month study period. The two lansoprazole doses were comparably effective in maintaining healing and in symptom control and were well tolerated. Fasting serum gastrin values increased significantly to about 1.5-2 times the baseline values over the first 2 months of lansoprazole treatment; no further increase was noted.Erosive relapse can be prevented in most patients for up to 1 yr with lansoprazole 15 mg or 30 mg once daily.
The purpose of this multicenter, randomized, double-blind study, conducted in 520 patients, was to compare the efficacy and safety of omeprazole (40 and 20 mg once daily) with placebo in the treatment of benign gastric ulcer.Treatment with omeprazole or placebo lasted 4 wk; those whose ulcers remained unhealed continued the same treatment regimen for an additional 4 wk. The effects of therapy were determined by endoscopy and assessment of GI symptoms. Safety and tolerability were evaluated through reported adverse events, physical examinations, and laboratory tests.At weeks 4 and 8, the proportion of patients with healed ulcers was significantly greater in the omeprazole 40- and 20-mg groups than in the placebo group (p < 0.01). At week 8, the healing rate was significantly greater in the 40-mg group than in the 20-mg group (82.7 vs 74.8%, p < 0.05). In patients with large ulcers (>1 cm), the 40-mg regimen was associated with a significantly higher healing rate (78.9%) than both the 20-mg regimen (61.4%) and placebo (34.6%) at week 8 (p < 0.05 vs omeprazole 20 mg; p < 0.01 vs placebo). Healing rates in patients with small ulcers were similar for the 40- and 20-mg groups. Omeprazole was well tolerated, with no significant differences versus placebo in the overall incidence of clinical or laboratory adverse events.Omeprazole 40 and 20 mg, administered once daily, healed a significantly greater proportion of patients than did placebo. The 40-mg regimen offered significant advantages over the 20-mg regimen in patients with large ulcers.
To evaluate complete symptom resolution, mucosal healing, and tolerability of omeprazole, ranitidine, or ranitidine/metoclopramide in patients with poorly responsive, symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).Adults with persistent symptomatic GERD after ranitidine treatment were stratified by esophagitis grade and randomized to omeprazole 20 mg once daily, ranitidine HCI 150 mg twice daily, or ranitidine HCI 150 mg twice daily plus metoclopramide HCI 10 mg four times daily. Endoscopies were conducted at baseline and at wk 4 and 8. Patients assessed overall symptom improvement at wk 4 and 8 and evaluated daytime and nighttime heartburn, dysphagia, and acid regurgitation daily.After 1 wk, 13% of patients receiving omeprazole (N = 100) had complete resolution of all GERD symptoms versus 1% and 3% of patients receiving ranitidine (N = 97) or ranitidine/metoclopramide (N = 93), respectively (p < 0.001). More patients receiving omeprazole had complete symptom resolution at wk 4 (33%) and at the end of the study (64%; both p < 0.001) than patients receiving ranitidine (8% and 28%, respectively) or ranitidine/metoclopramide (7% and 29%, respectively). Regardless of baseline esophagitis grade, more patients receiving omeprazole had complete symptom resolution. At wk 8, more than 91% of patients with grade 0 or 1 esophagitis at baseline were still healed irrespective of treatment. At wk 8, 80% of patients with esophagitis grade 2 or higher at entry were healed with omeprazole (p < 0.001 vs ranitidine [40%] and ranitidine/metoclopramide [46%]). Thirty-four percent of patients reported an adverse event. Significantly more patients receiving combination treatment reported an adverse event than patients treated with single agents.In patients with persistent GERD symptoms after ranitidine, omeprazole (20 mg daily for up to 8 wk) provides faster and more complete resolution of common GERD symptoms than continued ranitidine (300 mg daily) alone or in combination with metoclopramide (40 mg daily). Omeprazole provides significantly higher rates of endoscopic healing than ranitidine alone or with metoclopramide. Omeprazole and ranitidine are generally well tolerated. The addition of metoclopramide to ranitidine significantly increases adverse events.
(1) Background: The massive transfusion of packed red blood cells (RBCs) is a lifesaving procedure, but it is associated with complications, e.g., dysmagnesemia. Since magnesium is an intracellular ion, the transfused RBCs can significantly influence the magnesium concentration in the recipient's blood. (2) Methods: A retrospective study was performed among 49 patients hospitalized in the Central Clinical Hospital of the Medical University of Warsaw who received a massive blood transfusion (≥4 units/h). Data on laboratory results and patient history were collected from the hospital database. The intracellular RBCs magnesium concentration was measured in 231 samples using the colorimetric method. (3) Results: There were statistically significant changes in the mean serum magnesium concentration preoperatively and 24 h postoperatively (0.87 ± 0.13 vs. 1.03 ± 0.14, p < 0.00001) and 48 h postoperatively (0.87 ± 0.13 vs. 1.06 ± 0.15, p < 0.00001). Patients who died had significantly higher serum magnesium concentrations (p < 0.05). The median intracellular magnesium concentration in RBCs was 0.91 (0.55-1.8) mmol/L, which is below the reference values of 1.65-2.65 mmol/L. (4) Conclusions: Transfused RBCs significantly increased the serum magnesium concentration 24 h and 48 h postoperatively. It could be a result of mild hemolysis, as the median intracellular magnesium concentration in RBCs was below the reference values.
Introduction: Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus can lead to the development of COVID-19. Currently, more than 700 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19, of which nearly 7 million have died from the severe course of the disease. Recent reports suggest that patients with blood group A are most at risk of developing COVID-19, and people with natural anti-A antibodies (especially those with blood type 0) have a milder course of the disease. This study aimed to assess the humoral response to infection with SARS-CoV-2 depending on the patient’s blood type. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 147 patients with confirmed previous COVID-19 (convalescents) and 147 individuals who declared no previous infection with SARS-CoV-2. All enrolled subjects were blood donors registered at Regional Blood Center. The concentration of SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid antibodies was determined in the serum of the patients using the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 test. The blood group was determined by a manual method using anti-A, anti-B, and anti-D monoclonal sera and A, B, and 0 standard red blood cells (RBC). Results and conclusions: Based on anti-SARS-CoV-2 detection 68 people who denied contact with SARS-CoV-2 had previous asymptomatic infection. Blood type distribution differed between the asymptomatic convalescents and the declared convalescents, p = 0.0013. People with Arh–, BRh+, BRh–, and 0Rh– blood type were more often asymptomatically infected. Moreover, the Rh- subjects more often didn’t know about the previous infection than those with Rh+, p = 0.0012. It seems that subjects with Rh– blood type have a significantly milder course of disease than Rh+.
SUMMARY Histamine H 2 ‐receptor antagonists are moderately effective in symptomatic treatment and healing of erosive oesophagitis, but they are not as effective as the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole. In some studies prokinetic agents seem to increase the effectiveness of H 2 ‐antagonists, but no study comparing the efficacy of omeprazole to H 2 ‐antagonists plus prokinetic agents has been performed. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of 20 mg omeprazole daily with 150 mg ranitidine b.d.s. plus the prokinetic agent 10 mg metoclopramide q.d.s. in patients with erosive oesophagitis. After both 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, omeprazole healed the mucosa in significantly more patients than did ranitidine plus metoclopramide. Omeprazole also provided significantly greater relief from daytime heartburn, nighttime heartburn, and acid regurgitation, and was associated with decreased concomitant antacid use. Although the overall incidence of adverse events was similar in the two treatment groups, a significantly higher number of treatment‐related adverse events and more treatment‐related withdrawals from the study occurred in the ranitidine plus metoclopramide treatment group. Omeprazole is more effective and better tolerated than the combination of standard dose ranitidine plus metoclopramide for patients with erosive oesophagitis.
