Invited Commentary

Commentary on "Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in Hospitalized Patients, Subsequent Use in Primary Care and Physicians' Opinions About Acid-Suppressive Therapy"?

Authors: Pablo Guisado-Vasco, MD, PhD

Abstract

Acid-suppressive therapy (histamine 2 receptor antagonist [H2] or proton pump inhibitors [PPIs]) is one of the most prescribed treatments in both inpatient and outpatient settings in the United States (eg, esomeprazole, with 18.6 million prescriptions in 2014)1 and Europe. Increasing medical literature data, however, have shown the appearance of serious adverse effects such as vitamin B12 malabsorption, hypomagnesemia, and the interaction of PPIs and clopidogrel in ischemic heart disease, as well as risks of potentially life-threatening conditions (eg, Clostridium difficile infection, pneumonia, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhosis) associated with their use.

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