Selection Criteria for Studies
We included randomized and quasi-randomized
trials involving adults patients admitted
to medical or surgical ICUs for UGI bleeding
prophylaxis. Included studies directly
compared any PPIs vs. any H2RAs, regardless
of drug, dosage, and route of administration.
Only English articles published before May 30,
2008 were included. Studies were excluded if
placebo, antacids, or sucralfate rather than
H2RAs were used as the comparison group.
The definition of stress-related UGI bleeding
and pneumonia adopted by the individual research
were not assumed to be inclusion or
exclusion criteria. We excluded pharmacokinetic
studies, studies that used intragastric pH
as the only outcome of interest, and studies
that did not clearly present whether patients
were admitted to ICU.