ACUTE EROSIONS OF THE GASTRIC-MUCOSA IN BURNED RATS - EFFECT OF SUCRALFATE

The effect of intragastric sucralfate on development of gastric erosio ns in bums was studied in 20 rats anaesthetised with midazolam/fentany l/fluanisone. Gastric blood flow was measured by radioactive microsphe res immediately before, and 20, 40, and 120 minutes after the rats had been burned. Significantly fewer erosions were found in the 10 rats t reated with sucralfate (less than 2% of the gastric mucosal surface wa s affected) compared with the controls (16% of the mucosa affected). T here was no difference in the rate of gastric blood flow in any part o f the stomach between the rats treated with sucralfate and the control s. We conclude that sucralfate is effective in preventing gastric eros ions in burned rats, but that other mechanisms of action than increase gastric blood flow are responsible for its protective effect.