A COMPARISON OF INTRAVENOUS RANITIDINE AND OMEPRAZOLE ON GASTRIC VOLUME AND PH IN WOMEN UNDERGOING EMERGENCY CESAREAN-SECTION

We have compared the effect of intravenously administered omeprazole a nd ranitidine on gastric contents in a double-blind study in 80 consec utive women undergoing emergency Caesarean section. When the decision to perform emergency Caesarean section was made, patients were randoml y assigned to receive either ranitidine 50 mg or omeprazole 40 mg intr avenously. The volume and pH of the gastric contents were measured imm ediately after tracheal intubation and again before extubation. The ga stric pH was found to be higher after omeprazole than after ranitidine immediately after intubation (5.89 +/- 1.46 and 5.21 +/- 1.36 respect ively) (P < 0.05) and before extubation (5.97 +/- 1.38 and 5.32 +/- 1. 24 respectively) (P < 0.05). However the gastric volumes were comparab le in both the groups. The number of patients with gastric volume >25 ml and pH <2.5 were 3 (7.5%) in the ranitidine group and 1 (2.5%) in t he omeprazole group after intubation and none in either of the groups before extubation. We conclude that omeprazole 40 mg iv administered a t the lime of the decision to operate, results in higher gastric pH th an ranitidine in obstetric patients undergoing emergency Caesarean sec tion.