Pantoprazole in severe acid-peptic disease: the effectiveness and safety of 5 years' continuous treatment.

Objective: This is our final report on the clinical effectiveness and safety of long-term pantoprazole in patients with severe peptic ulcer or reflux disease during continuous treatment for up to 5 years.

Methods: Patients (n= 150) with peptic ulcer or reflux erosive oesophagitis running an aggressive course or with complications, and refractory to H2-receptor antagonists, were entered into this 5-year programme. Assessment was by serial endoscopy, clinical examination, serum gastrin estimation, gastric mucosal histology and mucosal endocrine cell quantification.