Ranitidine heals duodenal ulcers.

A double-blind placebo-controlled study of ranitidine 150 mg given twice daily for 4 weeks was carried out in 80 ambulant patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulceration. Fifteen patients were withdrawn because of poor compliance or default. Of the remaining 65 patients, endoscopic healing (with or without residual erosion) was noted in 28 of the 34 ranitidine-treated patients (82%) and in 14 of the 31 placebo-treated patients (45%) (P less than 0.005). Twenty-three patients whose ulcers were unhealed after 4 weeks of ranitidine therapy or placebo were then given ranitidine for a further 4-week period. Four of these patients were withdrawn, but ulcer healing was achieved in 16 of the remaining 19 patients (4 out of 5 (80%) initially treated with ranitidine and 12 of 14 (86%) initially treated with placebo). No significant clinical, biochemical or haematological adverse reactions were noted in either treatment group. It is concluded that ranitidine is a safe and effective therapy in patients with duodenal ulceration and that initial unsuccessful treatment with placebo does not appear to influence the subsequent response to ranitidine.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes