Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis with Proton-Pump Inhibitors: How Safe?

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently administered to patients in intensive care to prevent stress gastritis. However, prior studies suggest that PPIs may increase the risk for bloodstream infections (BSIs) in critically ill patients.

To examine this potential association, investigators retrospectively reviewed the records of 24,774 critically ill patients in 14 intensive care units in a three-hospital network between 2008 and 2014. They compared the rate of BSIs in patients taking a PPI to prevent stress gastritis versus those not taking a PPI.

The rate of BSIs was higher in PPI recipients versus nonrecipients (3.7% vs. 2.2%; P<0.01). However, multivariable analysis incorporating potential confounding factors showed that the differenc…