title: First-time urea breath tests performed at home by 36,629 patients: a study of Helicobacter pylori prevalence in primary care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the current study was (1) to describe the use of a (13) C-urea breath test (UBT) that was performed by patients at their homes as a part of a test-and-treat strategy in primary care and (2) to investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients taking a first-time UBT.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients performed UBTs at home based on the discretion of the general practitioner and mailed the breath bags to a central laboratory for analysis. Each patient was identified by a unique civil registration number. The study was population-based, and the background population was approximately 700,000 people.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2003 to 2009, 44,487 UBTs were performed. Of these, 36,629 were first-time UBTs. In total, 726 of 45,213 breath bags received (1.6%) were unable to be analyzed because of errors with the bags. For both women and men who were ≤ 45 years of age, positive H. pylori declined over the time course of the study (women: 19.6% in 2003 to 17.6% in 2009, p < .01; men: 20.7% in 2003 to 16.9% in 2009, p < .001). Patients who were older than 45 years had significantly higher positive H. pylori results than younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A test-and-treat system was possible to implement that allowed patients to perform UBTs at their homes. The results of the first-time UBTs demonstrated that approximately one of five patients who presented with dyspepsia in the clinical setting of Danish primary care was infected with H. pylori.
authors: Department of Medicine V (Hepatology and Gastroenterology), Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark. soerendahlerup@hotmail.com
authors: Søren
authors: S
authors: Dahlerup
authors: Rikke Charlotte
authors: RC
authors: Andersen
authors: Birgitte Sperling Wilms
authors: BS
authors: Nielsen
authors: Inger
authors: I
authors: Schjødt
authors: Lisbet Ambrosius
authors: LA
authors: Christensen
authors: Lars Ulrik
authors: LU
authors: Gerdes
authors: Jens Frederik
authors: JF
authors: Dahlerup
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D014508:Urea / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014508:Urea