PRESCRIPTION OF PROTON-PUMP INHIBITORS IN PATIENTS WHO UNDERWENT TOTAL GASTRECTOMY

Objective: To analyze the causes for prescribing proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) in patients who have undergone a total gastrectomy (TG), and the clinical and economic repercussions. Method: Retrospective descriptive study. We identified those patients that underwent TG between January 2006 and December 2007, and revised their admissions since surgery. Results: 55.9% of patients received a PPI in one or more admissions since TG. In 49.15% of admissions the patient had any PPI prescribed. The highest percent of post-gastrectomy PPI prescription occurred in the General Surgery and Digestive departments. Conclusions: Our study reveals the unnecessary prescription of PPI in a high percent of gastrectomized patients. It is necessary to use guidelines and protocols for the use of PPI in hospitalized patients, as well as establishing the required supervision for its compliance.