The association of ranitidine and sucralfate in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcers, as compared to other forms of treatment.

Results of the treatment of duodenal ulcer with ranitidine (150 mg X 2/die) and sucralfate (1 gr X 2/die) have been compared with other common schemes of therapy. Administration of the drugs was carried out for 8 weeks, and the evolution of the ulcer lesion was followed with endoscopic controls at the beginning and end of the treatment. Ulcer healing occurred in 92% of 25 patients, as compared with 83,3% of 30 cases treated with ranitidine only; 80% of 30 cases with cimetidine 1 g/day; 80% of 20 cases with cimetidine 800 mg/b.i.d.; 75% of 20 cases with sucralfate 3 g/day; 73,3% of 30 patients with pirenzepine 150 mg/day; 60% of 20 cases with sulglycotide 0.5-1 g/day; and 50% of 40 ulcerous patients treated with placebo. From these results it is concluded that the association of sucralfate with an H2-antagonist improves the possibility of short-term healing of duodenal ulcer.

[Diagnostic status in chronic pancreatitis. Observations on 50 cases]. / Attualità diagnostiche nelle pancreatiti croniche. Osservazioni su 50 casi.

The authors, after underlining the persistent interest for the problem of the chronic pancreatitis, especially about the diagnostic difficulty, refer the anamnestic, clinical and instrumental data concerning 50 patients with chronic pancreatitis examined in a period of ten years in Grosseto 's hospital. The authors discuss the most probable aetio -pathogenetic factors of chronic pancreatitis and review the numerous diagnostic methods at present available to study this disease, proposing future levels of research, on the basis of their significance, facility of execution, acceptability for the patient and cost, for a fit screening of the disease.

The effect of dihydroxydibutylether on bile lipid composition in patients with gallstones.

Dihydroxydibutylether (DHBE, 900 mg/day, in divided doses) was given to 13 patients with radiolucent gallstones. Bile lipid composition and bile saturation were studied before treatment and after 1 and 2 months of therapy. Bile was collected by duodenal intubation (after cerulein-induced gallbladder contraction) in each patient, and biliary lipids were estimated with standard laboratory techniques. The results of this study showed that DHBE treatment was associated with a significant (p less than 0.01) reduction of bile saturation with cholesterol (saturation index: 1.37 +/- 0.39 before treatment, 1.14 +/- 0.35 after 1 month, and 1.08 +/- 0.29 after 2 months). The possible mechanism of this effect and the clinical relevance are discussed.

Treatment of hyperlactacidemia in cirrhotic patients with pyridoxine-alpha-ketoglutarate (PAK).

After pyridoxine-alpha-ketoglutarate (PAK) was administered to patients with hepatic cirrhosis, the blood level values for lactic acid and ammonia showed a statistically significant reduction. These results suggest that PAK can be used for treatment adn prevention of hyperlactacidemia secondary to chronic hepatopathy.