Treatment of upper gastro-intestinal bleeding with the H2-receptor antagonist famotidine

Gastro-intestinal bleeding from peptic and stress ulcers is serious and life-threatening. Critically ill patients in intensive care units have many of the risk factors associated with bleeding from peptic and stress ulcers, including trauma, burns, sepsis, shock and multiple organ failure. This study investigated the results of treatment with famotidine, administered intravenously twice daily, to those in a control group that received treatment before the introduction of H2-receptor antagonists. The study was designed to determine whether famotidine reduced the need for emergency surgery in patients with bleeding ulcers and whether a reduction in mortality was associated with its use. The overall efficacy rate of famotidine was greater than 88%. The percentage of patients with a bleeding ulcer undergoing surgery was 24.5% compared with 50.3% in the historical control group. Twice daily intravenous administration of famotidine effectively stopped bleeding in patients with moderate to severe peptic ulcer and stress ulcer. Drug therapy for the treatment of upper gastro-intestinal bleeding, however, has limitations. Criteria for the use of famotidine include reduced mortality, rate of recurrent bleeding and rate of emergency surgery.