The use of breath tests in the study of malabsorption.
Breath analysis has evolved into a technique that can support nicely the evaluation of patients with diarrhoea and/or weight loss and in whom nutrient malabsorption is a possibility. The lactose and sucrose breath hydrogen tests offer direct (and probably the most sensitive) documentation of the malabsorption of carbohydrate and are currently widely used for clinical analysis. The 14C-xylose breath test is the most sensitive and specific breath test for detecting bacterial overgrowth; it may be used in combination with the labelled bile acid breath test to make the latter a sensitive and specific test for ileal malabsorption of bile salts. The labelled fat breath test has promise in aiding the detection and/or cause of fat malabsorption, but requires modification for optimum sensitivity and utility in quantifying the level of fat absorption.
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D005947:Glucose; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology; D007534:Isomaltose / Q000378:metabolism; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000175:diagnosis; D007792:Lactulose; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism; D014994:Xylose
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D009005:Monosaccharides; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007792:Lactulose; D013395:Sucrose; D007534:Isomaltose; D006859:Hydrogen; D014994:Xylose; D005947:Glucose