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The Urea Breath Test is used to detect Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacteria that can infect the stomach and is the leading cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers

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The Urea Breath Test is used to detect Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacteria that can infect the stomach and is the leading cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers

Urea Breath Test (UBTs) are based on the fact that all H. pylori strains produce a lot of urease. UBTs are low-burden, highly dependable tests that have been validated in both adults and children. A little quantity of 14C- or 13C-labeled urea. Urease breaks down urea, releasing tagged carbon dioxide into the bloodstream through the stomach mucosa and detectable in a breath sample.


The fast urease test identifies the other product of ingested urea (labelled CO2), whereas the urea breath test detects one of the split products of ingested urea (labelled CO2) (ammonia). In a solution containing urea and a pH indicator, a biopsy of stomach tissue is put. When bacterial urease breaks the urea, the freed ammonia raises the pH, which is shown by a change in the colour of the test indicator. Urease tests are quick, cheap, and simple to do. One drawback is that this approach need a high concentration of bacteria in the samples. Negative findings might indicate that the bacteria level in the sample is low.


 Urea Breath Test specificity increased from 95.5 percent to 98.1 percent when the cut-off was raised from a DOB of 5 to 8. In 40 children, another study found that the UBT had a sensitivity and specificity of only 83 percent and 91 percent, respectively, when compared to histology and fast urease tests. These disparate results show that UBT in children should be interpreted qualitatively and with caution, and they emphasise the need of consistency in UBT methodology and analysis. In adults, a recent Cochrane review of noninvasive diagnostic tests found that UBTs have the best diagnostic accuracy, whereas serology and stool antigen tests have lower diagnostic accuracy for H. pylori infection.

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