[Effect of cimetidine and secretin on acute bleedings from gastroduodenal ulcers and erosions: a prospective study (author's transl)].

In a prospective, alternating study 33 patients with ulcer or stress lesions were treated for active nonarterial bleeding with cimetidine (16 subjects) or synthetic secretin (17 subjects). Persistence of bleeding was confirmed endoscopically before onset. Both drugs were given intravenously over 48 hours. The bleeding was stopped in all 16 patients on secretin without requiring operation. Among the cimetidine-treated patients bleeding stopped in 5 after minor recurrences, while in 11 bleeding persisted or there were severe recurrences. The effect of secretin was significantly better than that of cimetidine after both types of bleeding (P less than 0.01).