Proton-Pump Inhibitors Often Are Prescribed Inappropriately at U.S. Teaching Hospitals

Stress ulcer prophylaxis has demonstrated efficacy in critically ill patients who are at high risk for gastrointestinal bleeding (e.g., mechanical ventilation >48 hours, coagulopathy). Prophylaxis in general ward patients also has become common, despite the lack of evidence to support this practice.

Researchers performed a retrospective review of administrative data for hospitalized adult patients discharged from the internal medicine service at one hospital in Colorado and from hundreds of academic health centers and their affiliated hospitals that participate in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). In 2008 and 2009, more than 6.5 million patients in the UHC met inclusion criteria. Among those who were prescribed proton-pump inhibi…