Antacid therapy of peptic ulcer

Abstract

EDITORIAL SYNOPSIS Because all the parameters needed to calculate an adequate dose of antacid for patients with peptic ulcer will probably never be known before treatment, a mathematical method is presented of calculating the minimum dose using the data of various authors as regards gastric secretion and emptying. Also studied is the effect of antacids on secretion rate and emptying time. It was found that to be effective in 90%/ of patients, a dose of 50 mEq. neutralizing capacity is adequate for male duodenal ulcer patients and of 26 mEq. for female duodenal ulcer or male gastric ulcer patients. If the patient's basal secretion is known, a dose of neutralizing capacity eight times the secretion rate is adequate.