Sucralfate in the treatment of reflux esophagitis in adults: an update.

Sucralfate was evaluated in several clinical studies on reflux esophagitis, a total of over 400 patients were studied worldwide. In this study 49 patients with reflux esophagitis of stage I-III acc. to Savary and Miller were included. The evaluation was based on 41 patients, 22 received sucralfate suspension 1 g in 5 ml qid, 19 ranitidine 150 mg bid. The patients were treated for 8 weeks, endoscopic controls were performed before treatment and after 8 weeks. The healing rates were 64% in the sucralfate group and 68% in the ranitidine group and exhibited no significant difference (p greater than 0.05). Antacid consumption and symptomatic improvement were comparable in both groups. Sucralfate seems to be a valid alternative to H2-blockers in the treatment of reflux esophagitis.