6. The Effect of Maintenance Treatment with Ranitidine on the Complications of Duodenal Ulcer Disease

Abstract

A population of 392 patients with duodenal ulcers were studied to determine the rate of development of the complications of ulcer disease during long-term maintenance treatment with ranitidine. By the product limit method of survival analysis, the proportions of patients who remained free from haemorrhage associated with ulcer recurrence during maintenance treatment were 98-99% at 1 year, 97-98% at 3 years, and 97-98% at 6 years. During periods of time when 124 of 392 patients were not receiving active anti-ulcer therapy, the proportion of patients who developed haemorrhage (15.2% at 3 years) was significantly greater than that observed in the remaining 268 patients (1.3% at 3 years), who continued to take ranitidine throughout the follow-up period (P< 0.0001, logrank test). No cases of perforation were observed, and only one patient developed pyloric stenosis. Maintenance treatment with ranitidine for up to 6 years successfully reduced the risk of haemorrhage in patients with duodenal ulcer disease.

Key Words:

• Duodenal ulcer
• gastrointestinal haemorrhage
• ranitidine