Predictors of duodenal ulcer healing in sucralfate treated patients

The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of sucralfate in promoting duodenal ulcer healing and to assess the value of some variables in predicting outcome of such therapy. Following variables were tested for predicting the outcome: age at onset, age at presentation, duration of symptoms, sex, periodicity, smoking, nocturnal pain, relief by food, relief by antacid, gastric stasis like symptoms, associated irritable bowel syndrome, site, size and number of ulcers and degree of deformity of bulb. Sixty patients with uncomplicated DU confirmed at endoscopy were treated with sucralfate one gram before three major meals and 1 g at bedtime for two months. Endoscopy was repeated at the end of the trial. There were four drop-outs. Complete, partial and no healing occurred in 45 (80.36)%, 3 (5.36%) and 8 (14.28%) subjects. Ulcer healing rate was higher in those without gross bulbar deformity (41/46) than in those with gross deformity (4/10), (Odd's ratio 12.3, 95% ci 1.98 to 78.44). Other variables were not found to be associated with ulcer healing.