TY - JOUR
T1 - A 20‐Minute Breath Test for Helicobacter pylori
AU - Marshall, Barry J.
AU - Plankey, Michael W.
AU - Hoffman, Susie R.
AU - Boyd, Cheryl L.
AU - Dye, Kevin R.
AU - Frierson, Henry F.
AU - Guerrant, Richard L.
AU - McCallum, Richard W.
PY - 1991/4
Y1 - 1991/4
N2 - In this study, we evaluated a simplified rapid 14C‐urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicohacter pylori. Fasting patients undergoing initial assessment for H. pylori drank 5 μCi of 14C‐urea in 20 ml of water. Breath was collected at intervals for 30 min. Samples were counted in a β‐counter, and the results were expressed as counts per minute (cpm). In the same week, patients underwent endoscopy, and a blinded investigator examined biopsy samples of gastric mucosa by culture and histology for H. pylori. There were 49 H. pylori‐negative (HP‐) and 104 H. pylori‐positive (HP+) patients in the study. HP+ patients expired a mean of 4398 cpm (SD 2468) per mmol CO2 in a sample taken 20 min after ingestion of the isotope. In contrast, HP‐patients expired only 340 cpm (SD 196). If the mean +3 SD of HP‐ patients was used as a cutoff value, the 20‐minute sample gave a sensitivity of 977c and a specificity of 100% for detecting H. pylori. The radiation exposure from this test is less than 1% of that received from an upper gastrointestinal series, and the short collection time makes it both convenient and cost effective.
AB - In this study, we evaluated a simplified rapid 14C‐urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicohacter pylori. Fasting patients undergoing initial assessment for H. pylori drank 5 μCi of 14C‐urea in 20 ml of water. Breath was collected at intervals for 30 min. Samples were counted in a β‐counter, and the results were expressed as counts per minute (cpm). In the same week, patients underwent endoscopy, and a blinded investigator examined biopsy samples of gastric mucosa by culture and histology for H. pylori. There were 49 H. pylori‐negative (HP‐) and 104 H. pylori‐positive (HP+) patients in the study. HP+ patients expired a mean of 4398 cpm (SD 2468) per mmol CO2 in a sample taken 20 min after ingestion of the isotope. In contrast, HP‐patients expired only 340 cpm (SD 196). If the mean +3 SD of HP‐ patients was used as a cutoff value, the 20‐minute sample gave a sensitivity of 977c and a specificity of 100% for detecting H. pylori. The radiation exposure from this test is less than 1% of that received from an upper gastrointestinal series, and the short collection time makes it both convenient and cost effective.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026390701&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1572-0241.1991.tb07034.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1572-0241.1991.tb07034.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 2012046
AN - SCOPUS:0026390701
SN - 0002-9270
VL - 86
SP - 438
EP - 445
JO - The American Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - The American Journal of Gastroenterology
IS - 4
ER -