Hydrogen - breath
Last updated: Thursday, 08, April, 2004
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | Expired air taken into syringe. The specimen must be collected by trained staff. |
| Method | If done as part of a tolerance test the appropriate test material (eg, lactose) is given orally and specimens are collected for 3 hours. Hydrogen is analysed by gas chromatography. |
| Reference Interval | Varies with test material. |
| Application | Investigation of malabsorption (especially lactose), small bowel bacterial overgrowth. |
| Interpretation | If malabsorption is present, breath hydrogen is increased following ingestion of the material. If there is small bowel bacterial overgrowth, short small bowel, or hypermotility, hydrogen production commences earlier than normal. |
| Reference | Cash BD et al. Am J Gastroenterol 2002; 97(11): 2812-2819. |