[Proton pump blockers and their significance in gastroenterology]

Extremely effective drugs used in the therapy of diseases etiologically associated with excessive HCl secretion by the gastric mucosa include proton pump blockers. Their obvious advantage, as compared with commonly used drugs, is that they cause a marked drop of HCl production by the gastric mucosa regardless of the type of stimulus, i.e. whether parietal cell receptors are influenced. Their therapeutic action is extremely effective, while side-effects are minimal. The publication gives the basic indications of administration of proton pump blockers, compares their therapeutic efficiency with H2 blockers and draws attention to possible pitfalls of therapy.