Incidence of perforated and bleeding peptic ulcers before and after the introduction of H2-receptor antagonists.

The incidence of perforated and bleeding peptic ulcer requiring emergency surgery was studied in a defined population before and after the introduction of histamine H2-blockers. The incidence of these ulcer complications was unchanged from 1974 to 1984 with an incidence of ulcer perforation from 4 to 10/100,000 per year and of bleeding ulcer from 5 to 10/100,000, indicating that the H2-blockers have not changed the incidence of severe ulcer complications.