SummaryWe treated 14 boys, six with gastric ulcers and eight with duodenal ulcers, to determine famotidine pharmacokinetics and its inhibition of gastric acid secretion (pharmacodynamics). Famotidine (1 mg/kg/day) was administered either intravenously or orally at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg twice a day (maximum: 40 mg/day). Blood samples were collected from all subjects and the i intragastric pH monitored in eight. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated assuming a one-compartment model. Volume of distribution, elimination half-life, and area under the serum concentration-time curve were 1.52 plusmn; 0.37 1/kg, 2.29 plusmn; 0.38 h, and 1.14 plusmn; 0.32 ng middot; h/ml, respectively. The mean oral bioavailability of famotidine was 50.6percnt;. Both intravenously and orally administered famotidine neutralized gastric acidity during sleep but failed to continuously maintain the intragastric pH 5.0. All subjects' ulcers healed within 8 weeks. There were no side effects noted during famotidine treatment. Twice daily administration of 0.5 mg/kg famotidine for 8 weeks appears to be a tolerated and effective treatment of children with gastroduodenal ulcers.
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