title: Ranitidine is unable to maintain gastric pH levels above 4 in septic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to evaluate whether ranitidine and pantoprazole are able to maintain gastric pH >or=4 in septic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty intensive care unit patients from a university teaching hospital with sepsis were included in this study. Ten patients received ranitidine (50 mg as an intermittent bolus 3 times a day) and 10 received pantoprazole (40 mg as an intermittent bolus twice a day). Gastric pH was measured continuously for 48 hours. Endoscopy of the upper digestive tract, gastric biopsy, and investigation for Helicobacter pylori were carried out before and at the end of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  pH values >or=4 were maintained for 46.27% +/- 38.21% and 81.57% +/- 19.65% of study time in the ranitidine and pantoprazole groups, respectively (P = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous ranitidine was unable to maintain gastric pH above 4 in septic patients. All cases in the ranitidine group in whom pH remained above 4 had gastric hypotrophy or atrophy. Pantoprazole successfully maintained pH levels above 4.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Teaching Hospital of the State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. cristerzi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cristina B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Terzi Coelho
authors.forename: Desanka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dragosavac
authors.forename: João S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Coelho Neto
authors.forename: Ciro G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guerrazzi
authors.forename: Nelson Adami
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Andreollo
mesh_terms: D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018806:APACHE; D000328:Adult; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077402:Pantoprazole; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D011899:Ranitidine; D000077402:Pantoprazole