Background: Some patients requiring acid suppression may be unable to take oral medications.
Aim: To compare the gastric acid inhibition effects of lansoprazole 30 mg administered either intravenous or orally in erosive oesophagitis patients.
Methods: The study included 87 Helicobacter pylori-negative patients with erosive oesophagitis. Each patient received 7 days of lansoprazole 30 mg orally prior to being randomized in a 3:1 fashion to intravenously lansoprazole 30 mg or intravenously placebo for 7 days. Basal acid output and pentagastrin-stimulated acid output were measured on days 8, 9 and 15.
Results: Median pentagastrin-stimulated acid output was 7.2 mmol/h after 7 days of oral lansoprazole. The median pentagastrin-stimulated acid output increased to 7.6 mmol/h after 7 days of intravenous lansoprazole compared with 26.9 mmol/h after intravenous placebo (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Lansoprazole 30 mg administered intravenous was equivalent to the 30 mg oral capsule in gastric acid suppression. Intravenous proton pump inhibitor therapy represents an important treatment option for those with acid-related diseases who are unable to take oral medications.