pharmacology

Gastrointestinal and Antiemetic Drugs

drugs used to treat four common medical conditions
•involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract:
•1) peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal
•reflux disease (GERD),
•2) chemotherapy-induced emesis,
•3) diarrhea,
•4) constipation
TREATMENT OF PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE AND GERD
•The two main causes of peptic ulcer are
•infection with gram-negative Helicobacter pylori
•use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
•drugs (NSAIDs)
Other risk factors
•1-Increased hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion
•2-inadequate mucosal defense against gastric acid also play a role
Treatment
approaches
• 1) eradicating the H. pylori infection,
•2) reducing secretion of gastric acid with the use of PPIs or H2-receptor antagonists ,
•and/or
•3) providing agents that protect the gastric mucosa from damage,
•such as misoprostol and sucralfate
•All effective in treating peptic ulcer disease
Antimicrobial agents
•Eradication of H. pylori
•results in rapid healing of active ulcers and low recurrence rates
•(less than 15% compared with 60% to 100% per year for initial ulcers healed
• with acid-reducing therapy alone
Successful eradication of H. pylori
(80% to 90%)
•triple therapy consisting of a PPI combined
•withamoxicillin
•(metronidazole may be used in penicillin-allergic patients)
•plus clarithromycin is the therapy of choice