Continuous intravenous cimetidine decreases stress-related upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage without promoting pneumonia

Abstract

The continuous i.v. infusion of cimetidine was highly effective in controlling intragastric pH and in preventing stress-related upper GI hemorrhage in critically ill patients without increasing their risk of developing nosocomial pneumonia. While the number of risk factors and intragastric pH may have pathogenic importance in the development of upper GI hemorrhage, neither the risk factors nor the intragastric pH was predictive. Therefore, short-term administration of continuously infused cimetidine offers benefits in patients who have sustained major surgery, trauma, burns, hypotension, sepsis, or single organ failure.