Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
random cross-over design
Participants
15 patients (3 girls and 12 boys) with confirmed steatorrhoea (residual steatorrhoea despite high dose pancreatic enzyme supplements (> or =10,000 U lipase/kg per day)) during the control evaluation. Median age was 8.7 years (range 3.5-15.9 years). Median daily lipase intake was 13,500 U/kg per day (range 10,000-22,000 U/kg per day).
Interventions
omeprazole (Losec), a proton-pump inhibitor, on fat absorption
Outcome measures
Fat digestion was evaluated with and without omeprazole by means of chemical fat measurements in 3-day stool collections together with 3-day weighed food records for calculation of fat absorption
Main results
During treatment with omeprazole, median faecal fat loss (g fat/day) decreased from 13 g (quartiles 11.5-16.5 g/day) to 5.5 g (quartiles 4.9-8.1 g/day) (P<0.01). The same improvement was noted when fat absorption was calculated: 87% (quartiles 81-89%) without versus 94% (quartiles 90-96%) with omeprazole (P<0.001).
Authors' conclusions
Omeprazole improves fat digestion and absorption in cystic fibrosis patients with residual faecal fat loss despite maximal pancreatic enzyme substitution.