Comparison of intravenous pantoprazole with intravenous ranitidine in peptic ulcer bleeding

Following successful endoscopic therapy in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding, rebleeding occurs in 4% to 30% of cases. Rebleeding remains the most important determinant of poor prognosis. The aim of our study is to compare the efficacy of intravenous pantoprazole and ranitidine for prevention of rebleeding of peptic ulcers following initial endoscopic hemostasis. In our study patients who had gastric or duodenal ulcers with bleeding received combined endoscopy therapy with injection of epinephrine and thermocoagulation. Patients with initial hemostasis were randomly assigned to two groups. One group (45 patients) was treated with intravenous pantoprazole, with an initial dose of 40 mg and subsequently with 40 mg every twelve hours during the first three days, followed by 40 mg a day orally. The other group (44 patients) was treated with intravenous ranitidine, with an initial dose of 50 mg and subsequently every eight hours during the first three days, followed by 150 mg ranitidine every 12 h. In all case of rebleeding repeated endoscopy was performed. One patient (2,2%) had rebleeding in pantoprazole group. Bleeding could not be blocked by repeated endoscopic intervention, thus the patient underwent emergency surgery. 6 patients (13,6%) from ranitidine group had recurrence of bleeding. Repeated endoscopy was performed in all these patients: bleeding was stopped in 3 cases endoscopically, other 3 patients were surgically treated urgently as endoscopic hemostasis was not successful. None of the patients died of uncontrolled rebleeding. The frequency of rebleeding was significantly low in the group of pantoprazole compared to ranitidine group (2,2% vs 13,6% P=0,046). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to need for emergency surgery (2,2% vs 6,8%), the length of hospital stay (6,7±3,3 vs 7,4±4,3 d) and mortality (0%vs 0%). After endoscopic treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers, intravenous pantoprazole is more effective than ranitidine for the prevention of rebleeding.