Stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Background/aims: Critically ill patients especially who require mechanical ventilation or have coagulopathy are at increased risk for stress-related gastrointestinal hemorrhage. There are conflicting data on the efficacy and complication rates of various prophylactic regimens.

Methodology: Our single-center randomized, placebo-controlled study included 287 patients with high risk for stress-related upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (>48 h mechanical ventilation, coagulopathy).

Helicobacter pylori is not a risk factor for stress ulcer bleeding in polytraumatized patients.

Background/aims: The pathogenesis of acute stress-related hemorrhage in critically ill polytraumatized patients is uncertain and any role of Helicobacter pylori infection is unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori serological status of patients developing stress-related bleeding and those with no appearance of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Methodology: In our single-center prospective cohort study we investigated over a 3-year period all consecutive patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage for Helicobacter pylori infection by serology.