Special features

Peptic ulcer disease
— pharmacological treatment

By Daniel Greer, BPharm, Msc, MRPharmS

Treatment of peptic ulcer disease involves stopping bleeding by endoscopic therapy and removing the cause of the problem, which is most commonly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or Helicobacter pylori. This article describes the treatment options available

This article as a FULL TEXT PDF (60K)

Daniel Greer is a pharmacist teacher/practitioner at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

A bleeding duodenal ulcer, viewed during endoscopy

SUMMARY

A definitive diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) can only be made by performing an endoscopy. Most patients in the hospital setting will have been referred for endoscopy because they have one or more alarm symptoms (see p242). Patients who have not had PUD confirmed by endoscopy should be managed as for undiagnosed dyspepsia. The two treatment strategies for undiagnosed dyspepsia are either a month of empirical proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy or testing for and treating Helicobacter pylori. Treatment of undiagnosed dyspepsia is described in more detail in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline on dyspepsia.

Special features

Peptic ulcer disease — pharmacological treatment

SUMMARY

Peptic ulcer disease
— pharmacological treatment