Comparison of oral and intravenous proton pump inhibitor on patients with high risk bleeding peptic ulcers: a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) decrease the rate of rebleeding following endoscopic hemostatic therapy in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers. This study compares the efficacy of oral omeprazole vs intravenous pantoprazole in decrease of rebleeding of peptic ulcer patients.

Methods: One hundred and six patients with high risk peptic ulcer were randomized to receive either oral omeprazole (80 mg BID for 3 days) or IV pantoprazole (80 mg bolus and 8 mg/hour infusion for 3 days) followed by omeprazole (20 mg each day for 30 days). All patients underwent upper endoscopy and endoscopic therapy within 24 hours.

Results: Seventeen patients were excluded from the study. Forty four patients were randomly allocated into omeprazole group and 41 patients to IV pantoprazole group. Both groups were similar for factors affecting the outcome. Bleeding reoccurred in five patients of omeprazole group and four patients in pantoprazole group (11.4% vs 9.8 %). The mean hospital stay and blood transfusion were not different in both groups.

Conclusion: Oral omeprazole and IV pantoprazole had equal effects on prevention of rebleeding after endoscopic therapy in patients with high risk bleeding peptic ulcers.