
Breath tests are used to diagnose a number of digestive conditions and infections. They are noninvasive exams that measure the amount of certain gases in the air that your child breathes out.
Breath tests help your child’s doctor understand what is happening in the stomach and small intestine during the digestive process.
There are two types of breath tests:
- H. pylori breath test. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are bacteria that infect the stomach and can cause ulcers. This breath test measures the amount of carbon dioxide that your child exhales.
- Hydrogen breath test. These tests check for lactose intolerance, bacteria overgrowth in the small bowel and rapid movement of food through the intestines. Hydrogen breath tests measure the amount of hydrogen in your child’s breath.
Your child may need a breath test if he or she is experiencing these symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal bloating
- Diarrhea
- Flatulence
- Gastritis
Breath tests take between one and several hours to complete. H. pylori and hydrogen breath tests require children to fast before testing. On the day of the test, your child will drink a special solution. He or she will then be asked to breathe into a collection tube or balloon at specific timed intervals.
Breath tests measure the different levels of gases released by the body as the special solution is digested and absorbed.
Your child may experience some bloating and discomfort during the breath test. This is because the solution your child drinks is designed to produce the symptoms he or she has been experiencing so that they can be measured and studied. Most of these symptoms will subside shortly after the breath test is completed.
What to Expect
What to Expect
You can expect the following on the day of an H. pylori breath test:
- Your child should not eat or drink for several hours before the test.
- When you arrive at the hospital or outpatient center, you will go to a testing room.
- The doctor will meet with you and your child to discuss the H. pylori breath test and answer any questions you may have.
- You are encouraged to remain with your child during the test.
- Your child is given a special solution to drink that contains urea.
- He or she will breathe into a small tube at several timed intervals, such as every 15 minutes.
- H. pylori bacteria produce an enzyme called urease. This breaks down urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide.
- If H. pylori are present in the digestive track, carbon dioxide will be released as the solution is digested.
- The carbon dioxide is absorbed into the blood and exhaled in the breath.
- If the level of carbon dioxide in your child’s breath increases after ingesting the test solution, the test indicates the likely presence of H. pylori bacteria.
You can expect the following after the H. pylori breath test:
- Any feelings of bloating or discomfort caused by the test solution should go away on their own within a few hours.
- Your child can return to eating and drinking normally.
- Your child can resume normal activities.
- Depending on the test results, the doctor may also prescribe additional tests to make a diagnosis.
- An endoscopic exam and biopsy of the stomach lining may be needed to confirm an H. pylori infection.
You can expect the following before a hydrogen breath test:
- Your child should fast for at least 12 hours before the hydrogen breath test.
- The doctor will tell you how many hours your child should go without eating and drinking.
You can expect the following on the day of the hydrogen breath test:
- When you arrive at the hospital or outpatient center, you will go to a testing room.
- The doctor will meet with you and your child to discuss the hydrogen breath test and answer any questions you may have.
- You are encouraged to remain with your child during the test.
- Your child will blow into a balloon and fill it with a breath of air.
- The amount of hydrogen in this sample of breath is measured to get a baseline reading.
- Your child is given a small amount of test sugar to drink.
- Depending on the purpose of the test, the solution may contain lactose, sucrose, sorbitol, fructose or lactulose.
- Your child breathes into the balloon to give breath samples every 15 to 30 minutes.
- Breath samples may be collected for between two and five hours.
You can expect the following after the hydrogen breath test:
- Any feelings of bloating or discomfort caused by the test solution should go away on their own within a few hours.
- Your child can return to eating and drinking normally.
- Your child can resume normal activities.
What hydrogen breath test results mean:
- Any production of hydrogen detected after the test sugar is ingested means there is a problem with digestion or absorption of the sugar in the small intestine.
- The sugar should not normally reach the colon.
- A test that is positive for lactose intolerance shows a significant rise in the hydrogen level of breath.
- If food is moving too fast through the small intestine, the test sugar drink of non-digestible lactulose reaches the colon too quickly and bacteria in the colon produce hydrogen soon after the sugar is ingested.
- When bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel occurs, drinking the lactulose solution causes an increase in hydrogen production at two separate times.
- Bacteria overgrowth shows increased hydrogen caused by bacteria in the small intestine and colon.
Key Points to Remember
Key Points to Remember
- Breath tests are used to diagnose a number of digestive conditions and infections such as H. pylori and lactose intolerance.
- Breath tests are noninvasive exams.
- These tests measure the amount of gases—such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen—present in the air that your child exhales.
- Breath tests help a doctor understand what is happening during the digestive process.
Locations
Locations
Locations
In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.