Costs of medical and surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer

Treatment strategies for reflux esophagitis including a potassium-competitive acid blocker: A cost-effectiveness analysis in Japan

INTRODUCTION

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common condition, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the mainstays of treatment. However, concerns have been raised about the safety of PPIs. A potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), vonoprazan (VPZ), was recently introduced, which may provide clinical benefits. This study was performed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of alternative long-term strategies including continuous and discontinuous treatment with VPZ for the management of reflux esophagitis in Japan.

METHODS

A health state transition model was developed to capture the long-term management of reflux esophagitis. Four different strategies were compared: (a) intermittent PPI using lansoprazole (LPZ); (b) intermittent P-CAB; (c) maintenance PPI using LPZ; and (d) maintenance P-CAB.

RESULTS

Intermittent P-CAB was the most cost-effective, and the number of days for which medication was required with this strategy was fewest. Maintenance PPI was more efficacious, but more costly than intermittent P-CAB. Maintenance P-CAB was more efficacious, but more costly than maintenance PPI. Co-payments were higher for maintenance PPI than for intermittent P-CAB, and for maintenance P-CAB than for maintenance PPI, which were considered reasonable for the majority of patients to improve symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Intermittent P-CAB appears to be the strategy of choice for the majority of reflux esophagitis patients in clinical practice. If a patient is not satisfied with the symptom control of the current strategy, switching to a more effective strategy appears to be a reasonable option for the majority of patients.

Vonoprazan versus Lansoprazole for the Initial Treatment of Reflux Esophagitis: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis in Japan

Objective Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a highly prevalent disorder that negatively affects patients' quality of life and reduces their work productivity. The medical expenses associated with the treatment of GERD are the highest among all digestive diseases. Current guidelines recommend the administration of a standard dose of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for eight weeks as an initial GERD treatment. However, there is growing concern regarding the safety of PPI treatment. Recently, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), vonoprazan (VPZ), was approved for the treatment of reflux esophagitis in Japan and may provide clinical benefits in GERD treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a P-CAB, VPZ vs. a PPI, lansoprazole (LPZ), for the acute medical treatment of reflux esophagitis. Methods A clinical decision analysis was performed using a Markov chain approach to compare VPZ to LPZ in the acute treatment of reflux esophagitis in Japan. Results The P-CAB strategy was superior to the PPI strategy in terms of cost-effectiveness (direct cost per patient to achieve clinical success) and the number of days for which medication was required. Sensitivity analyses revealed that this superiority was robust within the plausible range of probabilities. This remained true even when the healing rates in cases of mild esophagitis were applied. Conclusion The P-CAB strategy was consistently superior to the conventional PPI strategy using the original LPZ in terms of cost-effectiveness and the number of days for which medication was required. Thus, VPZ appears to be the drug of choice for the acute medical treatment of reflux esophagitis.

Pharmaco-economic considerations in the long-term management of peptic ulcer disease

Pharmaco-economic consequences of available therapeutic strategies in the management of duodenal ulcer disease are of increasing importance. Terminology and methodology in economic evaluation need to be clarified: direct and indirect costs of duodenal ulcer disease have to be calculated, and results expressed in terms of efficacy, utility or benefits. The economic analysis then compares costs or cost-effectiveness ratios of various strategies. Macro-economic evaluations conducted in France have shown that the overall cost of duodenal ulcer disease was FF 3.5 billion in 1987 in private practice. Several evaluations have shown that indirect costs accounted for more than 50% of the total expense. From a microeconomic point of view, several studies have been conducted with ranitidine and cimetidine. Our own study has shown that one year of treatment with ranitidine 150 mg/day resulted in a decrease in the use of medical resources (clinic visits, endoscopic investigations, duration of hospital stay) and work days lost, when compared with placebo. This resulted in a smaller cost of the ranitidine strategy (FF 2031 per patient for one year for the community, vs. FF 2823 for the placebo strategy). Similar cost-effectiveness ratios for the ranitidine strategy have been shown in the USA. Costs savings have also been demonstrated during long-term treatment with cimetidine for up to 3 years. Studies performed according to Markov's chain model have shown that the costs of continuous and intermittent treatments are identical, the expenses related to investigations and mortality being greater with the latter. More studies are warranted to evaluate the efficiency of the different strategies used in the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Maintenance therapy for peptic ulcer disease

Peptic ulcers tend to recur; recurrence may be associated with an increased risk of potentially lethal complications, such as haemorrhage or perforation. Therapy aims to keep ulcers in remission. Currently, the optimal maintenance therapy is long-term, continuous administration of antisecretory drugs. More than 80% of patients remain in remission during maintenance therapy. Maintenance therapy may be required for the life of the patient, but it is acceptable to patients and is safe.

Safety profile of long-term H2-antagonist therapy

The safety profile of low-dose maintenance therapy with H2-antagonists for duodenal ulcer disease suggests that these agents can be given safely for several years and probably much longer. Because information regarding the use of these compounds for more than 10 years in large numbers of patients is lacking, the safety of these drugs should continue to be monitored. The safety profiles of famotidine and nizatidine will require several additional years of postmarking surveillance data to match the depth of our knowledge regarding cimetidine and ranitidine. Compared to a surgical approach to ulcer disease, continuous H2-blocker maintenance therapy is cost-effective and is associated with significantly less morbidity. Patients with a history of bleeding or other ulcer complication should be encouraged to remain on maintenance therapy if they do not undergo surgery. The need for extended maintenance therapy also applied to individuals with frequent symptomatic ulcer relapses, reflux oesophagitis, and a range of less common disorders. Currently, H2-blockers and sucralfate are the only agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration for maintenance therapy of duodenal ulcer disease. Experience with omeprazole is still limited, and its long-term safety profile must await the completion of controlled trials of maintenance therapy. Given the apparent long-term safety of the H2-blockers for maintenance therapy, any new agent must prove to be equally safe in the clinical arena, a task that may be indeed formidable.

Comparative Analysis of Vagotomy and Drainage Versus Vagotomy and Resection Procedures for Bleeding Peptic Ulcer Disease: Results of 907 Patients from the Department of Veterans Affairs National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine postoperative outcomes and risk factors for morbidity and mortality in patients requiring surgery for bleeding peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Vagotomy and drainage procedures are technically simpler but are usually associated with higher ulcer recurrence rates. In contrast, vagotomy and resection approaches offer lower ulcer recurrences but represent much more challenging operations and are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality.

STUDY DESIGN

Data collected through the Department of Veterans Affairs National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 1991 to 2001 were submitted for stepwise logistic regression analysis for prediction of 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality, rebleeding, and postoperative length of stay. The study population included all patients operated on for bleeding PUD within an 11-year period.

RESULTS

The 30-day morbidity, mortality, and rebleeding rates were comparable between surgical groups. Age, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, presence of ascites, coma, diabetes, functional status, hemiplegia, and history of steroid use were predictors of postoperative death. Risk factors for rebleeding included dependent functional status, history of congestive heart failure, smoking, steroid use, and preoperative transfusions. Having a resective procedure, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, hemiplegia, history of COPD, and requiring ventilator-assisted respirations before surgery were positively associated with increased length of hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

No differences were observed in 30-day mortality, morbidity, or rebleeding rates between surgical groups. Having a resective procedure was a predictor of prolonged postoperative stay. Dependent status and chronic use of steroids were predictors of both rebleeding and postoperative mortality.

"Proton-pump inhibitor-first" strategy versus "step-up" strategy for the acute treatment of reflux esophagitis: a cost-effectiveness analysis in Japan

BACKGROUND

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition, and acid-suppressing agents are the mainstays of treatment. For the acute medical management of GERD, two different strategies can be proposed: either the most effective therapy, i.e., proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), can be given first, or histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) can be attempted first (the "step-up" approach).

METHODS

A clinical decision analysis comparing the PPI-first strategy and the H2RA-first "step-up" strategy for the acute treatment of reflux esophagitis in Japan was performed, using a Markov chain approach.

RESULTS

The PPI-first strategy was consistently superior to the step-up strategy with regard to clinical outcomes for the patient and with regard to cost-effectiveness (direct cost per patient to achieve clinical success). This superiority was robust within the plausible range of probabilities according to the sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The PPI-first strategy is superior to the H2RA-first "step-up" strategy with regard to both efficacy and cost-effectiveness and therefore, the PPI-first strategy is the preferred therapeutic approach for the acute medical treatment of reflux esophagitis.

Eradication of H. pylori with pantoprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole in duodenal ulcer patients: a head-to-head comparison between two regimens of different duration

BACKGROUND

The study was conducted to compare the efficacy and tolerability of two pantoprazole-based triple therapies of different length in the eradication of H. pylori.

METHODS

In this double-blind, multicenter parallel group comparison, H. pylori-positive patients were randomly assigned to either the PCM-7 group (7 days of pantoprazole 40 mg bid, clarithromycin 500 mg bid, metronidazole 500 mg bid) or the PCM-14 m group (modified 14 day therapy of the same regimen with metronidazole only given for 10 days due to labeling reasons). H. pylori status was determined by urease test, histology, culture, and 13C-urea breath test. Treatment outcome was assessed 6 weeks after intake of the last study medication.

RESULTS

The following eradication rates were achieved: for PCM-7 in the MITT population 83% (89/107), in the PP population 84% (81/97); for PCM-14 m in MITT 87% (92/106), in PP 88% (91/104). Ulcer healing rates were: for PCM-7 in MITT population 99% (106/107), in the PP population 99% (96/97); for PCM-14 m in MITT 99% (105/106), in PP 99% (103/104). Gastrointestinal symptoms and gastritis scores decreased in both treatment groups. Equivalence of treatment regimens could be proven for all populations. In total, 64 patients reported adverse events. Five serious adverse events occurred, all unrelated to the study medication.

CONCLUSION

The two pantoprazole-based triple therapies tested in this study are equally effective in H. pylori eradication, ulcer healing and relief from ulcer pain. It is concluded that 7 days of triple therapy are generally sufficient.

Does new technology increase or decrease health care costs? The treatment of peptic ulceration

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether new technology increases or decreases formal health care costs, with reference to the diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcers.

METHODS

A costing method has been devised which is designed to investigate directly the way in which the costs to formal health services of diagnosing and treating an individual illness have changed with changes in technology.

RESULTS

The cost of diagnosis has increased almost entirely as a result of the high cost of endoscopy compared with X-ray examination. The introduction of H2-receptor antagonist drugs increased the cost of treatment compared with the earlier phases of surgical treatment. Subsequently, Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment has reduced the cost of treatment compared with all earlier phases of technology.

CONCLUSIONS

A method has been devised that allows the impact of changes in medical technology on formal health care costs to be investigated for individual illnesses. In the treatment of peptic ulceration, the current technology, H. pylori eradication, has lower treatment costs than all previous technologies. The evidence from previous studies and this study is insufficient to support the assertion that new technology in general leads either to an increase or to a decrease in health care costs.

Varying efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens: cost effectiveness study using a decision analysis model

OBJECTIVE

To determine how small differences in the efficacy and cost of two antibiotic regimens to eradicate Helicobacter pylori can affect the overall cost effectiveness of H pylori eradication in duodenal ulcer disease.

DESIGN

A decision analysis to examine the cost effectiveness of eight H pylori eradication strategies for duodenal ulcer disease with and without 13C-urea breath testing to confirm eradication.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Cumulative direct treatment costs per 100 patients with duodenal ulcer disease who were positive for H pylori.

RESULTS

In model 1 the strategy of omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole alone was the most cost effective of the four strategies assessed. The addition of the 13C-urea breath test and a second course of omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole achieved the highest eradication rate (97%) but was the most expensive (62.63 pounds per patient). The cost of each additional effective eradication was 589.00 pounds (incremental cost per case) when compared with the cost of treating once only with omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole; equivalent to the cost of a patient receiving ranitidine for duodenal ulcer relapse for more than 15 years. Eradication strategies of omeprazole, amoxycillin, and metronidazole were less cost effective than omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole alone. In model 2 the addition of the 13C-urea breath test after treatment, and maintenance treatment, increased the cost of all the strategies and reduced the cost advantage of omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole alone.

CONCLUSION

Small differences in efficacy can influence the comparative cost effectiveness of strategies for eradicating H pylori. Of the strategies tested the most cost effective (omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole alone) was neither the least expensive (omeprazole, amoxycillin, and metronidazole alone) nor the most effective (omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole with further treatment for patients found positive for H pylori on 13C-urea breath testing). Cost effectiveness should be an important part of choosing an eradication strategy for H pylori.

Economic evaluation of Helicobacter pylori eradication for the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease in Japan: a decision analysis to assess eradication strategy in comparison with a conventional strategy

To evaluate the socio-economic effects of Helicobacter pylori eradication in the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease in Japan, a clinical decision analysis was performed to assess H. pylori eradication therapy compared with the conventional strategy of maintenance with histamine-2 receptor antagonists. A decision tree-based state transition model (Markov chain approach) implemented to simulate a 5 year period of follow up was constructed. The H. pylori eradication strategy was found to be superior to the conventional maintenance strategy with regard to clinical effectiveness and other dimensions of a patient's outcome. Furthermore, in a long-term perspective, the eradication strategy was less costly than the maintenance strategy. Helicobacter pylori eradication should be recommended as the first choice treatment of H. pylori-positive duodenal ulcer patients. The clinical implication of H. pylori eradication entails an improvement in clinical effectiveness and other dimensions of a patient's outcome and a significant reduction in the costs of duodenal ulcer treatment. The long-term total costs do not depend on the initial drug cost of an eradication regimen. Pursuing a high eradication rate of H. pylori is essential in improving the patient's outcome and the cost-effectiveness of treatment.

Economic evaluation in gastrointestinal disease

Safety and efficacy are not the only parameters of interest in the choice of medical technology--costs are playing an increasingly important role. There is growing interest in 'value for money', which can be assessed economically by comparing the costs and consequences of alternative courses of action. A number of different economic evaluation methods may be used: cost-minimization (only costs examined with no consideration given to consequences); cost-effectiveness (in which a unidimensional clinical outcome is assessed, for example, life-years gained); cost-utility (multidimensional outcomes measured, for example quantity and quality of life); and cost-benefit (where outcome is considered in monetary terms). Ulcer disease offers several examples of how economic evaluation can be used to address issues related to efficiency and value for money in healthcare. In a study of reflux oesophagitis, omeprazole was shown to be more cost-effective than ranitidine in a 12-week treatment study. With omeprazole the costs were lower and the effectiveness better than with the H2-receptor antagonist. In a later study the cost-effectiveness of omeprazole and ranitidine are compared for both intermittent and maintenance treatment in reflux oesophagitis. Using a Markov chain approach, Swedish cost data and studying a time period of 12 months, it found that omeprazole is both more effective in providing healthy days and less costly than ranitidine for both treatment strategies. The comparison between intermittent treatment and maintenance treatment with omeprazole shows that the latter is more effective but also more costly. It is concluded that the relative cost-effectiveness of omeprazole maintenance treatment increases with the risk of relapse when off treatment, the severity of symptoms following relapse, and the value of healthy days, i.e. days free from reflux oesophagitis. A model analysis comparing Helicobacter pylori eradication with conventional treatments in patients with duodenal ulcer disease has shown H. pylori eradication to be cost-effective when compared with either episodic therapy using omeprazole or maintenance therapy with ranitidine. The study used a Markov chain approach, and included the cost of treatment, in Swedish crowns, in a Swedish primary care setting over a period of 5 years. In the analysis, patients receiving conventional therapy were initially healed with omeprazole, 20-40 mg once daily. Following healing patients were either treated with further courses of omeprazole upon relapse or were given maintenance treatment with ranitidine, 150 mg once daily. The patients who were assigned to the H. pylori eradication therapy group were initially given an H. pylori test. Those patients who proved positive for the bacterium received omeprazole, 20 mg twice daily, plus amoxicillin, 2000 mg daily in divided doses, for 2 weeks, followed by omeprazole, 20 mg once daily, for a further 2 weeks to ensure healing. Patients who were H. pylori-negative were assigned to receive either episodic or maintenance therapy as described above. The model assumption applied in the H. pylori eradication group was that, following successful healing and H. pylori eradication, virtually all patients were cured and experienced no relapse during the following 5 years. by contrast, almost all the patients assigned to episodic therapy relapsed, and during maintenance therapy with H2-receptor antagonists, most patients experienced at least one relapse. Although H. pylori eradication resulted in initial higher costs than the alternative strategies, it reduced the risk of recurrence and for most patients there were no future costs. The investment therefore paid off within a relatively short period of time. Even when unfavourable assumptions were made, such as an H. pylori eradication rate of only 50%, the H. pylori eradication strategy had a pay-off period of less than 1.3 years compared with maintenance treatment, and 3 years compared with episodic

Lester R. Dragstedt and his role in the evolution of therapeutic vagotomy in the United States

The date October 22, 1993, marks the centenary of the birth of Lester R. Dragstedt. He emerged from humble roots of Swedish immigrant parents to become one of the pre-eminent surgical innovators of the twentieth century. Early in his scientific career, Dragstedt was profoundly influenced by another Swede, A. J. Carlson, who was initially employed as a Lutheran minister in Dragstedt's hometown of Anaconda, Montana. Carlson left the ministry for graduate school and later became chairman of The Department of Physiology at the University of Chicago. When Dragstedt finished his schooling, Carlson convinced him to attend the University of Chicago. In addition to Carlson, Dragstedt's research was influenced by many prominent physiologists and surgeons, including Pavlov and Latarjet. Their work, along with his own investigations, helped him both to formulate his hypotheses on the regulation of gastric acid secretion and to formalize the operation of truncal vagotomy. In 1943, Dragstedt initiated the clinical use of this procedure in North America. Although he studied his patients carefully and documented his results meticulously, the operation initially met with considerable resistance from both his medical and surgical colleagues. Over time, many other surgeons accepted vagotomy as a viable procedure and further modified his technique. The unique ability of Dragstedt to transfer his research studies to the development and implementation of rational surgical therapy remains an enduring example for the surgical profession.

Emerging strategies for managing peptic ulcer disease

The relationship between the inhibition of intragastric acidity and healing has been determined for both duodenal and gastric ulcers, with a stronger correlation being evident in duodenal ulcer. Omeprazole is clearly more effective than H2-receptor antagonists in healing duodenal ulcers and in the resolution of attendant symptoms. As the recommended treatment periods are shorter with omeprazole (e.g. 2-4 weeks) than with H2-receptor antagonists (4-8 weeks), omeprazole has also been shown to be more cost-effective. Long-term management strategies for peptic ulcer are evolving rapidly in the light of evidence that Helicobacter pylori eradication reduces or eliminates ulcer relapse. Regimens, such as omeprazole in combination with amoxycillin or clarithromycin, that both eradicate H. pylori and heal ulcers rapidly are appealing because they are simple, well tolerated, convenient and efficient in both healing ulcers and preventing relapse. This comprehensive approach appears to be evolving as the dominant strategy for the future treatment of peptic ulcer diseases. Gastric ulcer disease is also treated more effectively with omeprazole than with H2-receptor antagonists, both in terms of speed and reliability of healing, and in terms of symptom resolution. At 4 weeks, symptom resolution has been specifically examined in six comparative trials; in three of these, omeprazole was superior to the H2-receptor antagonist, and in the other three was at least as good as the H2-receptor antagonist. Omeprazole, 40 mg once daily, effectively heals non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced ulcers in about 90% of cases, even if NSAID therapy is continued, and is probably the treatment of choice for patients with ulcers requiring continued NSAID therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Long-term consequences with regard to clinical outcome and cost-effectiveness of episodic treatment with omeprazole or ranitidine for healing of duodenal ulcer

The clinical outcome and cost-effectiveness of episodic treatment of duodenal ulcer with omeprazole and ranitidine were evaluated over a 5-year period. The analysis was based on data from published clinical trials comparing healing rates obtained with omeprazole and with ranitidine, as well as on data from the literature on ulcer recurrence and other clinical events. Patients with an active duodenal ulcer were treated until healed or for a maximum of 24 weeks. Maintenance therapy was instituted in patients with ulcers that were very slow to heal and in patients with frequent relapses after cessation of treatment. Patients who experienced frequent relapses while receiving maintenance therapy, and those whose ulcer had not healed after 24 weeks of continuous treatment, were defined as candidates for surgery. A statistical model was set up and a random number generator used to generate a sequence of clinical events, month by month, over a 5-year period for each patient in a large cohort. Episodic treatment with omeprazole was shown to be more effective in avoiding maintenance treatment and surgery when compared with episodic treatment with ranitidine. Patients who received episodic treatment with omeprazole also spent more time in remission from disease. Using current Swedish cost data, it was found that episodic treatment with omeprazole was more cost-effective than episodic treatment with ranitidine.

Prescribing policy for antiulcer treatment in the elderly

In the short and long term treatment of peptic ulcer in the elderly some problems have yet to be resolved, mainly concerning the physiology and pathophysiology of the aging stomach, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of antiulcer drugs, and the presence of different risk factors compared with young patients. The available data from controlled trials of peptic ulcer in the general population and from the limited experience in geriatrics, show that the clinical efficacy and tolerability of the anti-secretory drugs (e.g. cimetidine, ranitidine and famotidine) and of cytoprotective compounds are similar to that observed in younger patients. However, more data are necessary concerning the optimal dosage in relation to physiological age-related changes of liver and kidney function, the duration of prophylactic treatment, and importantly, the assurance of adequate patient compliance.

Comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of theophylline and ipratropium bromide in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A three-center study

The charts of 311 patients receiving theophylline (T) and 289 patients receiving ipratropium bromide (IB) for COPD were reviewed to determine the total costs and cost-effectiveness of these 2 agents in 3 different health-care settings. A direct cost-accounting method assessed cost, and a Markov decision-analysis model calculated cost-effectiveness. Costs to treat toxic effects were greater for T versus IB. The types and incidences of toxic effects, by drug, were similar among the three centers. Overall costs for T were $121.40 per patient per therapy-month versus $84.56 per patient per therapy-month for IB, as determined by the cost-accounting method. The marginal cost was $366 for T over IB when extrapolated over 1 year using the Markov model. The Markov model also predicted that patients receiving IB had a greater number of complication-free therapy-months (measurement of effectiveness) than patients receiving T. We conclude that treatment with IB was less costly and more cost-effective than T.

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical treatments in acid-related diseases. The Markov chain approach applied to a comparison between intermittent and maintenance treatment of reflux esophagitis

Escalating medical costs have made it increasingly important to carry out economic evaluations of drug therapy. In the area of acid-related diseases, much of the current interest is focused on comparisons between omeprazole and H2 receptor antagonists. After having discussed the basic methodology used in these analyses, viz. the decision-tree analysis, this paper presents an extension of this methodology, the Markov chain approach, which is more appropriate for analyses of longer time periods. Thereafter, this methodology is used to analyze the cost-effectiveness of omeprazole in intermittent versus maintenance treatment of reflux esophagitis. The cost data are from Sweden and the time period studied is one year. It is found that maintenance treatment provides 63 more healthy days per year at an extra direct cost of SEK 40 per day. From a sensitivity analysis it is concluded that the cost-effectiveness of intermittent versus maintenance treatment is mainly determined by the probability of relapse when off treatment, the severity of the symptoms in the case of a relapse and the value to the patient of a healthy day, i.e. a day free from reflux esophagitis.

The long-term management of duodenal ulceration using an H2-antagonist: symptomatic self-care compared with maintenance treatment

In a 48-week study of 319 duodenal ulcer patients, symptomatic self-care with an histamine H2-receptor antagonist (flexible self-chosen dosing with cimetidine 0, 400 or 800 mg/day) was compared with maintenance treatment (cimetidine 400 mg nocte). The rate of withdrawal from the study was similar in both groups. The mean consumption of cimetidine 400 mg tablets was significantly higher in the maintenance group (7.2 vs. 5.4 tablets/week; P less than 0.0001), but the mean cumulative number of days with ulcer symptoms was higher in the symptomatic self-care group (47.2 vs. 29.1 days in 48 weeks). The estimated number of days of work-loss due to ulcer symptoms was similar in both groups (approximately 4 days in the 48 weeks of observation). It is concluded that symptomatic self-care using an H2-antagonist can provide not only an economic but also an effective strategy for the long-term management of uncomplicated duodenal ulceration.

Maintenance therapy in peptic ulcer disease

The maxim "once an ulcer, always an ulcer" is still an appropriate description for the chronic nature of peptic ulcer disease. The goals for treating patients with ulcer disease are to relieve symptoms, heal the acute ulcer, reduce the risk of ulcer recurrence and complications, and decrease the economic impact of this chronic disease while maintaining the patient's quality of life. Patients with documented peptic ulcer disease should be carefully evaluated and a treatment plan devised that takes into account the possible need for maintenance therapy. Risk factors that seem to reflect a high likelihood of ulcer recurrence should be identified early in all ulcer patients and attempts made to minimize or correct them in the future. Assuming that a diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease has been firmly established and an adequate period of drug treatment makes complete ulcer healing likely, a reasonable way to proceed is outlined in Figure 4. If the patient is young and generally healthy, has an uncomplicated ulcer and few risk factors favoring ulcer relapse, either no treatment or symptomatic selfcare would be reasonable. If one chooses the latter course, the patient can be given a prescription for 3 to 6 months of medication and told to take full therapy for any recurrent symptoms, continuing the treatment until symptoms are relieved. The failure of such treatment to relieve symptoms after 2 to 3 weeks, the onset of alarming symptoms such as intense pain, vomiting, or melena, or possibly the exhaustion of the 6-month supply of medication with continued mild symptoms should lead to reevaluation. Alternatively, such a patient could be managed with no therapy and seen again if ulcer symptoms recur and reevaluated for further diagnosis and treatment. Obviously, patients who are candidates for these approaches to postulcer healing management are those with a low risk for ulcer recurrence and who are likely to be compliant with follow-up advice. Accordingly, careful patient selection seems most important in prescribing symptomatic self-care or intermittent full-dose maintenance treatment. On the other hand, if the patient has had a complicated course of ulcer disease, such as bleeding, or has a significant number of risk factors that would make early ulcer relapse highly likely, it would be prudent to institute continuous maintenance therapy while working to reduce or eliminate the adverse risk factors. Any relapse of symptomatic ulcer disease during noncontinuous maintenance therapy should indicate the need for return to a continuous dosing program.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Nocturnal intragastric acidity during and after a period of dosing with either ranitidine or omeprazole

The magnitude and duration of changes in nocturnal intragastric acidity caused by 25 days of dosing with the antisecretory drugs ranitidine and omeprazole were investigated in a double-blind study of 22 healthy subjects. Nocturnal intragastric acidity was studied before (twice), during (on day 25), and after (every 3 days for 21 days) dosing with either 300 mg ranitidine at night or 40 mg omeprazole every morning. Three and six days after withdrawal of dosing with ranitidine, median integrated nocturnal intragastric acidity was increased significantly (17% and 14%, P = 0.01 and P = 0.05, respectively) compared with before dosing. Three days after withdrawal of dosing with omeprazole, median integrated nocturnal intragastric acidity was decreased significantly (-23%, P = 0.003). Compared with before dosing, no significant differences were seen in the ranitidine group between days 9 and 21 or the omeprazole group between days 6 and 21 after cessation of dosing. Fasting plasma gastrin concentration was measured on the morning of each study; compared with before treatment, the only significant elevations occurred on the last day of dosing with omeprazole (before, 4 pmol/L; during, 7 pmol/L). It is concluded that rebound intragastric hyperacidity after dosing with 300 mg ranitidine at night or sustained hypoacidity after dosing with 40 mg omeprazole every morning reflect transient disturbances of gastric function that are unlikely to be of clinical importance.