Medigest
Urea Breath Tests
pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is a bacterium is commonly implicated in: –
1. Acute gastritis
2. Peptic ulcer (duodenal or gastric ulcer)
3. Chronic gastritis
4. Gastric cancer
The presence of this bacterium is expected to be seen in 50% of world’s population; more in developing countries. Therefore, early diagnosis is imperative to prevent complications of chronic disease. Urea breath test is a rapid diagnostic procedure which has good sensitivity and specificity.
Method
- 1. Patients are given a preparation of urea labelled with either radioactive carbon-14 or non-radioactive carbon-13.
- 2. In about 15–30 minutes, exhaled breath is assessed for isotope-labelled carbon dioxide.
- 3. Urea (preparation) is catabolised into carbon dioxide and ammonia by the urease (enzyme present in H.pylori)
- 4. The positivity of isotope labelled carbon dioxide in breath is evidence to indicate presence of infection.