Lack of evidence of neurotoxicity following 8 weeks of treatment with tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate

Abstract

Objective: To search for evidence of subclinical neurotoxicity in patients treated with tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate. Design : Prospective, controlled, triplicate study using urinary bismuth concentration, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nerve conduction studies, visual evoked response and a battery of 10 neuropsychological screening tests. Setting: Out-patient clinics, Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, UK. Subjects : Fourteen dyspeptic patients : 8 (treatment group) treated with tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate one tablet q.d.s and 6 (control group) treated with ranitidine 150 mg b.d. for 8 weeks. Main outcome measures: Changes in urinary bismuth, MRI, nerve conduction studies, visual evoked response, and neuropsychological tests performed before, immediately after and 8 weeks after the cessation of treatment. A 42 (12-54) 46 (9-64) 42 (7-60) A 0.67 (0.5-0.82) 0.68 (0.584.84) 0.70 (0.66-0.88) B 0 64 (0.60-0.86) 0.71 (0.54-0.76) 0.70 (0.56-0.82) Visual evoked response Latency P100-right eye to right cortex, pattern 1" arc at 1 metre (milliseconds) A 104 (98.4-114) 103 (95.7-114) 103 (95.1-106) B 104 (94.2-114) 102 (95.1-115) 103 (93.9-108) ~~ ~~ ' Results reported as median (range): A = treatment group. B = control group. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 1994. vol. 8.