Sucralfate versus alginate/antacid in the treatment of peptic esophagitis.

Fifty patients in whom endoscopy revealed peptic esophagitis were included in a double-blind study in which either sucralfate (1 g four times a day) or an alginate/antacid compound (5 g four times a day) were randomly assigned. After six weeks of treatment, efficacy and clinical safety were evaluated in 23 patients in the sucralfate group and 22 patients in the alginate/antacid group. No significant difference between the two treatments was detected with regard to efficacy, evaluated on the basis of clinical and endoscopic criteria. Clinical safety was also good in both groups. Sucralfate was, therefore, found to be as effective and as well tolerated as the alginate/antacid compound in the treatment of peptic esophagitis.