Stress related mucosal disease prophylaxis in intensive care unit patients

: Among the patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit there frequently occur disturbances of the upper gastrointestinal tract. They can be found as stress ulcerations which in turn may lead to bleeding. The high incidence of stress ulcers and bleedings from the upper gastrointestinal tract is associated with disturbances of gastric acid secretion, an interrupted integrity of gastric mucosa and abnormal motor activity of gastrointestinal tract. The presence of clinically important bleeding results in prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality. The aim of this study is twofold; first, the pathogenesis and the consequences of stress-related mucosal disease are elucidated. Afterwards, the prophylaxis modalities are presented on the basis of the latest medical literature.