[Clinical evaluation of one-year controlled studies of duodenal ulcer recurrence rate in patients treated with the preparation Ulfamid].

The purpose of the work was an evaluation of duodenal ulcer recurrence rate in patients with a history of at least two years of ulcer treated during one year with the preparation Ulfamid (famotidine) Krka in a maintenance dose of 20 mg before sleep. The study involved 30 patients of either sex in whom complete healing of the ulcer niche was obtained in the first phase. Control endoscopy was carried out after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. In the first phase of the study, complete healing of the ulcer niche after the treatment with Ulfamid in a therapeutic dose of 40 mg for six weeks was obtained in 94.9%. In the second phase of the study, after three months on Ulfamid in a maintenance dose, the recurrence rate was 13.3%, after six months 26.6%, after nine months another 6.1%. After 12 months the recurrence rate of duodenal ulcer reached jointly 46.7%. Of interest is the observation of a large number of the so called asymptomatic ulcers which accounted for 50% of the observed recurrencies.