Somatostatin versus cimetidine in the treatment of actively bleeding duodenal ulcer: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

In a double-blind, prospective, randomized trial, the healing effect of somatostatin was compared with that of cimetidine in 67 patients with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcer with active bleeding (33 patients were treated with somatostatin, 34 with cimetidine). Intravenous infusion of either drug was administered for 48 or 72 h. Somatostatin had a higher rate of control of bleeding (30 vs. 24 patients at 72 h; p less than 0.05) and had less mean transfusion requirements (4.4 vs. 5.8 units; p less than 0.01). Need for surgical intervention and the mortality figures show a trend in favor of somatostatin. There was no difference in rebleeding rate.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes