title: [Bismuth. An old medicine of current interest].
abstract: Bismuth has been used to treat dyspepsia for more than a hundred years, and has now become an important element in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. Less than 1% of ingested bismuth is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted in the urine. Bismuth forms a protective coating on the mucosa, it stimulates secretion of bicarbonate and has an effect on the G-cell and Helicobacter pylori. Bismuth gives equal ulcer healing rates as H2-receptor blocking agents, but causes significantly less relapses. Triple treatment with bismuth, tetracycline and metronidazole eradicates H pylori in 95% of patients. Bismuth accumulates in the body during treatment and is neurotoxic, and it cannot be excluded that even short-term treatment may cause subclinical damage to the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Medisinsk avdeling, Ostfold sentralsykehus, Sarpsborg.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qvigstad
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Waldum
mesh_terms: D001729:Bismuth / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D001729:Bismuth
vernacular_title: Vismut. Gammelt middel med ny aktualitet.