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Urea Breath Test
Aka: Urea Breath Test, Urease Breath Test
- See Also
- Helicobacter pylori Noninvasive Testing
- Indications
- Dyspepsia evaluation
- Initial diagnosis of H. pylori
- Confirmation of cure after H. pylori management (test 6 weeks after)
- Mechanism
- Measures urease activity
- Detected via nonradioactive isotope carbon 13 or carbon 14
- Efficacy: Accurate for Diagnosis for H. pylori
- Test Sensitivity: 97%
- Test Specificity: 100%
- Advantages
- In-office test with high accuracy
- Noninvasive test of H. pylori cure
- Disadvantages
- Stop Proton Pump Inhibitors 2 weeks before test
- Patient must fast for 6 hours before test
- More expensive than stool Antigen testing (averages $133)
- References
- Calvet (2009) Clin Infect Dis 48(10): 1385-91 +PMID:19368506 [PubMed]
- Cutler AF (1995) Gastroenterology 109:136-41 +PMID:7540995 [PubMed]