Use of cimetidine in the prevention of stress ulcers in intensive care units.

Cimetidine* was used prophylactically in 742 patients admitted to the intensive care unit; only 21 (2.8%) developed stress ulcers. A review of the records of patients admitted to this unit before this study who did not receive cimetidine showed that the incidence of stress ulcers was 12.2%. Our results agree with those of others who have found that the prophylactic use of cimetidine in patients who are critically ill reduces the incidence of stress ulcers and subsequent complications.