Premium
Analysis of the breath hydrogen test for carbohydrate malabsorption: Validation of a pocket‐sized breath test analyser
Author(s) -
Lee Ws,
Davidson Gp,
Moore Dj,
Butler Rn
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1754.2000.00511.x
Subject(s) - medicine , analyser , gold standard (test) , malabsorption , breath test , gastroenterology , positive predicative value , hydrogen breath test , predictive value , chromatography , chemistry , helicobacter pylori
Objective : To assess the validity and clinical application of a hand‐held breath hydrogen (H 2 ) analyzer (BreatH2, Europa Scientific, Crewe, UK). Methodology : Breath samples of patients referred to the Gastroenterology Unit, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, for confirmation of the diagnosis of carbohydrate malabsorption were analysed with the Quintron microlyzer (Quintron Instrument Co., Milwaukee, USA) and the BreatH2 analyser, using the Quintron microlyzer as the gold standard. Results : Twenty‐nine breath H 2 tests (BHT) were performed in 29 patients aged 2 months to 61 years. The sensitivity and specificity of the BreatH2 analyser in detecting a positive BHT using the Quintron microlyser as the gold standard were 0.90 and 0.95 with positive and negative predictive values of 0.90 and 0.95, respectively. There was one false positive and one false negative reading. Bland–Altman plots showed a high degree of agreement between the values obtained with two different methods. Conclusions : The diagnosis of carbohydrate malabsorption, using a portable breath H 2 analyser (BreatH2), achieved an acceptable degree of sensitivity and specificity, enabling it to be used where no alternative is available.