TY - JOUR
T1 - Lactose breath test in children
T2 - Relationship between symptoms during the test and test results
AU - Glatstein, Miguel
AU - Reif, Shimon
AU - Scolnik, Dennis
AU - Rom, Liat
AU - Yerushalmy-Feler, Anat
AU - Dali-Levy, Margalit
AU - Cohen, Shlomi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
PY - 2018/8/17
Y1 - 2018/8/17
N2 - Background: Lactose malabsorption affects 70% of the world population. The hydrogen breath test (HBT) is used clinically to test for this condition. The aim of our study was to describe the relationship between symptoms experienced before and during the HBT and test results. Methods: We included children who underwent the HBT in the pediatric gastroenterology unit at Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital during a 6-month period. Previous symptoms and those experienced before and after the HBT were assessed using a questionnaire and a validated pain scale. Results: Ninety-five children were included in the study, and 66.3% had a positive HBT. Diarrhea and flatulence during the test were significantly more frequent in the group with a positive HBT compared to those with a negative test (31.7% vs. 9.4%, P = 0.016 and 69.8% vs. 40.6%, P = 0.006, respectively). The frequency of abdominal pain and bloating was similar. Conclusions: Diarrhea and flatulence during the HBT are the most specific symptoms of lactose intolerance. Abdominal pain should not be automatically attributed to lactose intolerance even in the presence of lactose malabsorption. Coupling the HBT with a real-time questionnaire facilitates interpretation of results and subsequent recommendations.
AB - Background: Lactose malabsorption affects 70% of the world population. The hydrogen breath test (HBT) is used clinically to test for this condition. The aim of our study was to describe the relationship between symptoms experienced before and during the HBT and test results. Methods: We included children who underwent the HBT in the pediatric gastroenterology unit at Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital during a 6-month period. Previous symptoms and those experienced before and after the HBT were assessed using a questionnaire and a validated pain scale. Results: Ninety-five children were included in the study, and 66.3% had a positive HBT. Diarrhea and flatulence during the test were significantly more frequent in the group with a positive HBT compared to those with a negative test (31.7% vs. 9.4%, P = 0.016 and 69.8% vs. 40.6%, P = 0.006, respectively). The frequency of abdominal pain and bloating was similar. Conclusions: Diarrhea and flatulence during the HBT are the most specific symptoms of lactose intolerance. Abdominal pain should not be automatically attributed to lactose intolerance even in the presence of lactose malabsorption. Coupling the HBT with a real-time questionnaire facilitates interpretation of results and subsequent recommendations.
KW - Diarrhea
KW - Flatulence
KW - Hydrogen breath test
KW - Lactose malabsorption
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84984677243&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/MJT.0000000000000463
DO - 10.1097/MJT.0000000000000463
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C2 - 27574929
AN - SCOPUS:84984677243
SN - 1075-2765
VL - 25
SP - E189-E193
JO - American Journal of Therapeutics
JF - American Journal of Therapeutics
IS - 2
ER -