Intravenous omeprazole: effect on 24-hour intragastric pH in duodenal ulcer patients.

This study was aimed to identify an intravenous dosage regime of omeprazole which would sufficiently suppress acid secretion to maintain intragastric pH greater than 4 continuously. Thirteen duodenal ulcer patients in remission received omeprazole in daily intravenous doses ranging from 40 to 200 mg. Doses were successively increased as dictated by patient response. The intragastric pH data indicated that omeprazole given in twice or thrice daily regimes in total intravenous amounts of 200, 160 and 160 mg over a consecutive 3-day period markedly inhibited acid secretion and maintained intragastric pH greater than 4 with few and short-term exceptions.