The inexpensive medication pantoprazole prevents potentially serious stomach bleeding in critically ill patients and can save consumers and the government thousands of dollars.

The results of a new study show that when prescribed in hospital for mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit, where patients are on life support and at high risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to ulcers, the benefits are dramatic. So are the resulting savings, at a time when governments are struggling to contain costs during times of rising public criticism.


Image: Storyblocks

The Re-evaluating the Inhibition of Stress Erosions (REVISE) Trial was conducted in 68 facilities across eight countries. Over 4,800 patients were enrolled. Pantoprazole costs between 50 cents and two dollars per dose so the researchers did a cost-effectiveness analysis using data from REVISE, comparing outcomes and resource use between patients who received pantoprazole daily and those who did not. They determined that prescribing it to invasively ventilated patients reduced bleeding events and length of stay in the intensive care unit, making it a simple, low-cost intervention that improves outcomes and reduces health-care costs.

Citation: Xie F, Yao Y, Ma Y, et al. Cost-Effectiveness of Pantoprazole to Prevent Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Mechanically Ventilated Patients. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(12):e2552771. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842104 doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.52771