ENDOSCOPIC APPEARANCES OF HEMORRHAGIC PEPTIC-ULCERS AND EFFICACY OF H-2-RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS

Background/Aim: In this retrospective study, we compared the effects o f histamine H-2-receptor antagonists to those of antacids and antichol inergics in. patients with hemorrhagic ulcers with various endoscopic appearances of bleeding.Patients and Methods: Patients with hemorrhagi c ulcers (n=376) were examined by emergency endoscopy and were treated with 1) antacids and anticholinergic drugs or 2) H-2-receptor antagon ists. Results: In ulcer patients with oozing or fresh red coagulation H-2-receptor antagonists ceased further hemorrhage more effectively (6 5.9% of the cases) than antacids and anticholinergic drugs (46.7%). In patients with projectile bleeding, both of the treatments failed to s top hemorrhage. There were no significant differences in favorable out come in the patients only with old black coagulation, between antacid and anticholinergic drugs-treated group and H-2-receptor antagonists-t reated group (94.4% and 93.8%, respectively). Conclusions: The results suggest that H-2-receptor antagonists are more effective than antacid s and anticholinergic drugs in patents with peptic ulcer with fresh co agulation or oozing, but not with projectile bleeding or old black coa gulation The results also indicate that endoscopic appearances of pept ic ulcer bleeding are good predictors for the effects of medication.