Plasma Aluminum levels of patients on long term sucralfate therapy

Plasma aluminum levels of 17 patients with gastric and/or duodenal ulcers who had received four grams of sucralfate daily for eight to ten weeks were compared with those of six control subjects. Aluminum levels were determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. Plasma of patients on long term sucralfate therapy contained 8.41 +/- 6.00 (SD) micrograms aluminum per liter and was not significantly different than that of the control subjects which contained 6.50 +/- 7.87 micrograms per liter. These values agreed well with normal values reported previously. In conclusion, long term ingestion of sucralfate in therapeutic doses does not result in an increase in plasma aluminum concentration.