[Stress-ulcer. Prevention and therapy by cimetidine (author's transl)]

Efficiency of cimetidine in therapy and prevention of stress ulcer has been tested in a double blind study with endoscopic examination at the time of inclusion and a week later. This study concerns forty patients with severe cerebral disorders and prolonged coma. In preventive group (20 subjects) we noticed 55 p. cent of success under placebo and 37 p. cent with cimetidine. In therapy group (20 subjects) cimetidine was not different from placebo (37,5 of success v. s. 41,25 p. cent). Two patients presented hematemesis. The relative failure of cimetidine in these patients is discussed and some explanations are envisaged.