Famotidine for gastric radiography

The effectiveness of famotidine (20 mg) in suppressing nocturnal gastric secretion during preparation for gastric radiography was studied in 243 patients. The gastric juice volume was calculated from a single upright radiograph of the stomach. The overall percentage suppression of nocturnal gastric secretion by famotidine was 60%, while it was 47% in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Radiological examinations were of diagnostic quality in 82% of the controls and 91% of the famotidine group; excellent film were obtained in 45% and 3%, respectively. Our findings suggest that famotidine could be a useful pretreatment for barium meal examinations.