EFFECT OF RANITIDINE ON THE UREA BREATH TEST - A CONTROLLED TRIAL

Because Helicobacter pylori is an acid-sensitive organism, an elevatio n of the gastric pH by H-2 inhibitors might improve the intragastric c onditions for the development of this organism. We tested this hypothe sis in a prospective and controlled trial including 43 patients positi ve for H. pylori using the rapid urease test. Twenty-six patients rece ived 150 mg ranitidine twice daily and 17 patients received no treatme nt. The C-14-urea breath test was performed in both groups at the begi nning of the study and 2 weeks later. Radioactive C-14 in exhaled carb on dioxide was significantly increased (p = 0.045) in the patients tre ated with ranitidine, compared with the patients in the control group. Administration of this drug to patients infected with H. pylori is as sociated with an increase in the bacterial load after 2 weeks of treat ment. This phenomenon might be attributed to increased bacterial growt h due to the H-2 blocker.