What Is a Stress Ulcer?
9. Can Stress Ulcers Be Prevented?
Because stress ulcers are common for patients in intensive and emergency care, some medical professionals give patients medication to help prevent an ulcer’s development. Common prevention strategies include the same used for treatment, such as proton pump inhibitors and histamine blockers.
Some argue that prevention measures should only be taken for those meeting certain criteria. These include patients on blood thinners, those taking hydrocortisone daily or those who are on a ventilator for longer than 48 hours. Other factors include a previous ulcer, systemic sepsis, internal bleeding and those in intensive care for more than one week.
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