title: [Breath tests in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases].
abstract: Determination of carbon or hydrogen markers in breath has allowed closer investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms of several gastrointestinal diseases. Thus, the 13C-urea breath test is a nonaggressive, simple and safe test with excellent accuracy both in the initial diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and in confirmation of its eradication following treatment. Moreover, because of the simplicity, reproducibility and safety of these types of procedure, they have tended to substitute more uncomfortable and expensive techniques that were traditionally used in gastroenterology. Several breath tests have been developed that allow reliable evaluation of liver or exocrine pancreatic function, gastrointestinal motility, as related to gastric emptying or orocecal transit time, and a diagnostic approach to clinical problems that could be due to bacterial overgrowth or malabsorption of various sugars.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, España. gisbert@meditex.es
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gisbert
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: González-Lama
mesh_terms: D001944:Breath Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014508:Urea / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen; D014508:Urea