Intravenous proton pump inhibitors

Intravenous (IV) administration of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is a faster way to achieve gastric acid suppression than oral administration of the same agent. Peak suppression after IV administration occurs within hours, compared with several days later after oral administration. Thus the IV route of administration offers a faster onset of gastric suppression, achievement of intragastric pH closer to neutrality, and better bioavailability. The PPIs that have IV formulations in the United States (esomeprazole, lansoprazole, and pantoprazole) are approved for different indications; the key differences among them relate to their ability to reach specific gastric pH, time to maintain a specific gastric pH, and ease of use of the IV formulation (eg, reconstitution, requirement of inline filters, infusion times).