The effects of intermittent and continuous intravenous infusion of famotidine on gastric acidity in patients with peptic ulcers.

The effects of intermittent or continuous intravenous infusion of a daily dose of 40 mg of famotidine on the intragastric pH over a 24-hour period were studied in five patients with gastric ulcers and five with duodenal ulcers. Gastric pH was measured continuously using a pH meter. Famotidine was administered at 12-hour intervals for intermittent infusion or was given by continuous infusion. The mean cumulative percentage of pH readings at 6 to 7 or above with continuous infusion was significantly higher than with intermittent infusion in both gastric and duodenal ulcer patients. Thus, the continuous intravenous infusion of a daily dose of 40 mg of famotidine appears to be more useful for the preservation of a high gastric pH in gastric and duodenal ulcer patients than the intermittent infusion of the same daily dose of famotidine.