Ranitidine is a widely used histamine-2-receptor antagonist and it is usually well tolerated by patients with an excellent safety record. Anaphylactic reaction to ranitidine is rare event. We report here on 2 cases with anaphylactic reaction after the intravenous administration of ranitidine in an emergency medical center. Awareness of this rare, but life threatening adverse reaction to a commonly used ranitidine can help physicians avoid being caught unaware when they experience this medical situation. Although the incidences of anaphylactic reactions induced by these drugs are low, clinicians should be aware of this possibility of life threatening risk of anaphylactic reaction when administering ranitidine. Furthermore, the possibility of cross reactivity between drugs in the same antihistamine group should be considered. (ED note: please check the part in the yellow.)
Administration, Intravenous ; Anaphylaxis ; Emergencies ; Histamine H2 Antagonists ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ranitidine

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and H2-receptor antagonists (H2RA) are commonly prescribed for the treatment of mild to moderate reflux esophagitis (MMRE). There remains great controversy in their usefulness as the first choice and the appropriateness. We prospectively compared the efficacy and safety of the 8-week low-dose PPI vs. standard-dose H2RA in MMRE. METHODS: One hundred patients with MMRE were randomized to receive either low-dose of omeprazole (L-OMP: 10 mg, q.d.) or standard-dose of ranitidine (S-H2RA: 150 mg, b.i.d.) for 8 weeks. The H. pylori status using rapid urease test, histological examination and culture, reflux esophagitis (RE) grading, gastrointestinal symptoms using 4-point scale, adverse event and the standard laboratory examination were assessed at baseline and 8-week end point of therapy. RESULTS: Improvement rate of RE [intention to treat (n=82)/per protocol (n=72)] were shown in 69.1%/63.9% for L-OMP and 65.0%/63.9% for S-H2RA group (p=0.697, p=1.000). Complete healing rates of RE were 54.7%/50.0% for L-OMP and 42.5%/41.7% for S-H2RA. No significant difference in healing rate, the rapidity of symptom resolution, adverse events, and laboratory monitoring was found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The low-dose omeprazole therapy produced similar healing rates and safety in the treatment of MMRE. In addition, L-OMP is advantageous in its once-a-day dosing and might be an alternative to S-H2RA, especially in Korean patients with MMRE.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/*administration & dosage ; Comparative Study ; English Abstract ; Esophagitis, Peptic/*drug therapy/pathology ; Female ; Histamine H2 Antagonists/*administration & dosage ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Omeprazole/*administration & dosage ; Ranitidine/*administration & dosage

The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome, and optimal duration of medical treatment in children with superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS). Eighteen children with SMAS were retrospectively studied. The data reviewed included demographics, presenting symptoms, co-morbid conditions, clinical courses, nutritional status, treatments, and outcomes. The three most common symptoms were postprandial discomfort (67.7%), abdominal pain (61.1%), and early satiety (50%). The median duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 68 days. The most common co-morbid condition was weight loss (50%), followed by growth spurt (22.2%) and bile reflux gastropathy (16.7%). Body mass index (BMI) was normal in 72.2% of the patients. Medical management was successful in 13 patients (72.2%). The median duration of treatment was 45 days. Nine patients (50%) had good outcomes without recurrence, 5 patients (27.8%) had moderate outcomes, and 4 patients (22.2%) had poor outcomes. A time limit of >6 weeks for the duration of medical management tended to be associated with worse outcomes (P=0.018). SMAS often developed in patients with normal BMI or no weight loss. Medical treatment has a high success rate, and children with SMAS should be treated medically for at least 6 weeks before surgical treatment is considered.
Adolescent ; Bile Reflux/diagnosis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Demography ; Domperidone/therapeutic use ; Dopamine Antagonists/therapeutic use ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Female ; Histamine H2 Antagonists/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Retrospective Studies ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Time Factors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Weight Loss