Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have become the mainstay of treatment for and prevention of many serious gastrointestinal diseases. Laboratory and clinical evidence suggests that the increase in gastric pH caused by PPIs may be linked to increased bacterial colonization of the stomach and may predispose patients to an increased risk for respiratory infections.
London Health Sciences Centre, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, Ontario, Canada. nmsultan@uwo.ca
