PREVENTION OF NSAID-INDUCED GASTRIC ULCER WITH MISOPROSTOL: MULTICENTRE, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out to see whether the synthetic E prostaglandin, misoprostol, would prevent gastric ulcer induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 420 patients with osteoarthritis and NSAID-associated abdominal pain were studied; they were receiving ibuprofen, piroxicam, or naproxen. Endoscopy was done at entry and after 1, 2, and 3 months of continuous treatment with 100 μg or 200 μg misoprostol or placebo, given four times daily with meals and at bedtime, concurrently with the NSAID. Abdominal pain was rated independently by patients and physicians. A treatment failure was defined as development of a gastric ulcer. Gastric ulcers (0·3 cm in diameter or greater) occurred less frequently (p