Treatment of chronic duodenal ulceration. Effectiveness of colloidal bismuth subcitrate tablets compared with cimetidine

Abstract

Fifty-eight patients with chronic duodenal ulceration proven at endoscopy consented to enter a trial comparing the effect of colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS)tablets with that of cimetidine. Fifty-four patients completed the six-week trial. An endoscopic assessment of healing was made at four weeks. If healing had not occurred, the trial was continued for another two weeks and the endoscopy was repeated. At four weeks, healing at endoscopy was demonstrated in 82% of patients receiving CBS and in 58% of those receiving cimetidine. At six weeks, the healing rates were 93% and 81%, respectively. No side effects were noted in either group. Continued smoking was not found to have an adverse effect on the healing rate of ulcers in either treatment group.