Critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are predisposed to upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding secondary to stress-related mucosal damage. The two most significant independent risk factors for stress ulceration and subsequent GI bleeding in this setting are mechanical ventilation and coagulopathy.1,2 Observational data indicate that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) remain the most frequently employed prophylactic agents in the ICU.3
Comparative studies evaluating the efficacy of PPIs have shown a positive correlation between their pharmacokinetic properties and acid-suppressive activity. Among available PPIs, esomeprazole demonstrates superior pharmacokinetic characteristics, translating into more effective acid control in clinical use.7,8 In fact, one study reported that the area under the curve (AUC) for esomeprazole was nearly twice that of omeprazole at equivalent doses (14), supporting its enhanced acid-suppressive effect and prolonged maintenance of intragastric pH \> 4.9