TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH DUODENAL-ULCER POSITIVE FOR HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION - RANITIDINE OR OMEPRAZOLE ASSOCIATED WITH COLLOIDAL BISMUTH SUBCITRATE PLUS AMOXICILLIN

This study evaluated treatment of patients affected with duodenal ulce r positive for Helicobacter pylori. We compared patients treated with ranitidine plus amoxicillin plus colloidal bismuth subcitrate (n = 20) with patients treated with omeprazole plus amoxicillin plus colloidal bismuth subcitrate (n = 20) with regard to: (1) healing of duodenal u lcer; (2) eradication of H pylori; and (3) recurrence of ulcer, Baseli ne and follow-up for 24 months were performed through clinical, labora tory, and endoscopic tests, The ulcer healing rate was 95% in the rani tidine group and 100% in the omeprazole group; the H pylori eradicatio n rate was 90% and 95%, respectively, During follow-up, only 3 patient s (16%) in the ranitidine group and 2 patients (10%) in the omeprazole group had recurrence of duodenal ulcer; only 1 patient in each group showed reinfection with H pylori, In conclusion, there were no statist ically significant differences between treatment with ranitidine or om eprazole, with regard to ulcer healing rate, eradication of H pylori, or recurrence of duodenal ulcer.