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The aim of this study was to identify and eradicate H. pylori infection in patients with haemophilia. Patients were screened for IgG antibodies against H. pylori; active infection was determined using a (13) C-urea breath test and infected patients were given combination therapy with antibiotics to eradicate infection. Seventy-eight of 219 (36%) patients with haemophilia were found to have an elevated serum antibody titre against H. pylori; of 36 antibody-positive patients with confirmatory testing, 14 were found to have active H. pylori infection. H. pylori infection was successfully eradicated in every infectedpatient using acombination of ranitidine plus two antibiotics (usually amoxycillin and metronidazole). It is concluded that eradication of H. pylori infection is likely to be a cost-effective screening strategy in patients with haemophilia, to prevent complications of peptic ulcer disease.

H2-receptor antagonists are becoming widely available as over-the-counter medications for the treatment of heartburn and excess gastric acidity.To determine the effects of single low doses of ranitidine on intragastric acidity.Intragastric pH was measured for 9 h after lunch in five studies involving 24 healthy male volunteers. Antacid was given to all subjects on day 1. They then received single oral doses of a study drug 45 min after lunch on four separate occasions: placebo and either ranitidine 25 mg, 75 mg or 125 mg were given double-blind according to a predetermined randomization schedule.During both of the post-dosing time periods (0-5 h and 5-9 h) there were significant decreases in integrated intragastric acidity for each ranitidine dose compared with placebo (P0.0001). There was a significant linear relationship between dose and integrated intragastric acidity with a greater decrease in acidity with increasing ranitidine doses (P0.0001). Compared with placebo, time with pH3 was significantly greater for ranitidine 75 mg and 125 mg (P0.001), but not ranitidine 25 mg. Results with the antacid were similar to placebo.Using low doses of ranitidine (25, 75 or 125 mg) there was a dose-related decrease in intragastric acidity for 9 h after dosing. A single dose of antacid did not decrease intragastric acidity significantly.