Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid Tied to Higher Risk of Pneumonia
A new study has found that hospital patients who are given proton pump inhibitors–drugs that help prevent acid reflux–are at higher risk for pneumonia than those who are not given these medications.
The drugs — including Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid — are often recommended for intensive-care patients to prevent stress ulcers, and in recent years they have been given to many other hospital patients, in large part because they are widely perceived to be safe. Experts estimate that 40 percent to 70 percent of inpatients now receive acid-suppressive drugs during a hospital stay, with about half receiving them for the first time.
Source: New York Times, May 26, 2009
nytimes.com/2009/05/27/health/27drugs.html