Short term treatment of gastric ulcer: a comparison of sucralfate and cimetidine.

A double blind randomised study was undertaken to compare sucralfate and cimetidine in short term treatment of gastric ulcer. The study included 149 patients with endoscopically confirmed gastric ulcerations. Patients with prepyloric ulcers 2 cm or less from the pyloric ring were not accepted for participation in the trial. Ulcer healing was assessed endoscopically at four week intervals. A total of 134 patients completed the study. The cumulative healing rates after 12 weeks were 98% for sucralfate and 94% for cimetidine treated patients. After four and eight weeks, the healing rates were 61% and 94% for sucralfate and 69% and 94% for the cimetidine-treated group respectively. No statistically significant differences in healing rates were seen. The 95% confidence interval was calculated for the difference between the ulcer healing rates of sucralfate and cimetidine. This interval was found to range between +11% and -2% after 12 weeks of treatment - that is, the healing efficacy of sucralfate was calculated to be at most 11% better or 2% worse than that of cimetidine. No significant differences in symptom relief, side effects or antacid intake were found.