A comparison of sucralfate and ranitidine for the prevention of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients requiring mechanical ventilation

The anti-ulcer drug ranitidine appears to be more effective than sucralfate in preventing gastrointestinal bleeding from stress ulcers in hospital patients on a ventilator. Researchers randomly assigned 1200 to receive either sucralfate or ranitidine through an intravenous line or a nasogastric tube. Only 1.7% of the patients receiving ranitidine developed gastrointestinal bleeding compared to 3.8% of those receiving sucralfate. There were no significant differences in mortality rates or hospital stay between both groups.