No abstract

Almost three-quarters of subjects with dyspeptic symptoms do not have endoscopic findings and, in addition, esophagitis may not be the cause of dyspeptic symptoms in subjects without prominent reflux symptoms. PU may be the cause of dyspeptic symptoms in a subgroup of subjects with prominent reflux symptoms.

The 13C-UBT is an accurate test for the detection of H. pylori infection also in children. Administration of 50 mg of 13C-urea, a fatty test meal, and breath sampling at 30 min appears to be the most convenient protocol.

No abstract

The high sensitivity, and specificity of the 13C-urea breath test are such that it can be considered a clinical gold standard against which other diagnostic methods can be validated. This test can be used as the sole method for evaluating the effectiveness of treatment of H. pylori infection.