Cimetidine affords protection equal to antacids in prevention of stress ulceration following thermal injury.

A prospective, randomized, double-blind, endoscopic study is described in which the efficacy of cimetidine (13 patients) is compared to that of antacids (14 patients) in the prevention of stress ulceration following severe thermal injury. Each treatment modality was equally effective in the prevention of acute gastroduodenal disease and its associated complications. Both cimetidine and antacids produced a near elimination of duodenal disease and markedly reduced the severity of gastric disease when compared to that of untreated historical controls. Lack of major side effects and ease of administration make cimetidine an attractive alternative to antacid therapy in the prophylaxis of stress-induced gastroduodenal disease in the thermally injured patient.