[Helicobacter pylori: 14C urea breath test in clinical practice at a general hospital].
Using isotope methods we studied in 125 patients the absence or presence of gastric urease. Carbon 14 urea was given orally, breath samples were collected over a 30 min period, and the amount of 14CO2 excreted every 10 min was determined. The patients were divided in two groups: 1) uninfected with Helicobacter pylori (HP) (n = 64), 2) infected (n = 41), depending on whether the excretion of the 14CO2 in the breath was greater o lower that 1% of the administered dose. Compared with the infected patients the uninfected patients have shown a mean values of 14CO2 in the breath significantly lower at 10-20-30 min. Among 38 patients who underwent both the 14C urea breath test and endoscopy biopsy of the antral mucosa for histological examination, 22 (58%) and 16 (42%) showed positive or negative HP on biopsy respectively. Among these HP-positive patients, 16 (73%) had chronic gastritis, 3 (14%) gastritis acute and 3 (14%) had duodenal ulcer. Excretion of 14CO2 in breath, lower than 1% and higher than 1% has a specificity of 81% and sensitivity accuracy, positive predictive power of 86%, 84% and 86% respectively. In conclusion 14C urea breath test is a simple noninvasive and easy way to detect with high degree of confidence the presence or absence of gastric urease.
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Privado de Córdoba. imogenhp@nt.com.ar
E C
EC
Noguera
W
W
Hames
S
S
Bértola
G
G
Mothe
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014508:Urea; D014510:Urease / Q000032:analysis
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D014508:Urea; D014510:Urease