title: Breath hydrogen test after a bean meal demonstrates delayed oro-cecal transit time in children with chronic constipation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate oro-cecal transit time in children with chronic constipation.
  
  
  METHODS
  34 patients with chronic functional constipation age 3 to 13 years and 15 controls without constipation. Oro-cecal transit time was evaluated using the hydrogen breath test after ingestion of lactulose and after a standard meal of cooked beans. Total and segmental colonic transit times were measured with radiopaque markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 34 patients with chronic constipation 61.8% had increased total colonic transit time (>62 hours). Oro-cecal transit time measured with lactulose as substrate was similar (p=0.727) in constipated patients with increased colonic transit time (63.8+/-16.3 minutes), in constipated patients with normal colonic transit time (66.9+/-22.9 minutes), and in controls (65.3+/-15.5 minutes). Using a test meal of beans, the hydrogen breath test showed that oro-cecal transit time of constipated patients with increased total colon transit time was higher (252.4+/-23.2 minutes) than oro-cecal transit time of constipated patients with normal colonic transit time (227.7+/-39.6 minutes) or controls (205.3+/-23.3 minutes) (p<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hydrogen excretion in breath after a bean test meal showed delayed oro-cecal transit time in children with chronic constipation with abnormal total colonic transit time.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Gastroenterology Division and the Medical Imaging Department, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Fontenele
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Henrique Manoel
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lederman
authors.forename: Ulysses
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fagundes-Neto
authors.forename: Mauro Batista
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: de Morais
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001944:Breath Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003106:Colon / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen; D007792:Lactulose / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007792:Lactulose; D006859:Hydrogen