Urea Breath Test 13C

A carbon-13 urea breath test checks whether you have a stomach bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) by measuring your breath after you swallow a special drink. It's simple and painless, and doesn't involve any needles, cameras or radiation.

Why might I need a urea breath test?

H. pylori is a bacteria that can live in your stomach. It's a major cause of stomach inflammation and ulcers, and can cause symptoms such as heartburn, nausea and stomach pain.

Your doctor may suggest this test to:

• Check whether H. pylori is causing your symptoms
• Check whether a previous course of antibiotic treatment for H. pylori has worked.

What are the benefits of a urea breath test?

This test is non-invasive and highly accurate. It can be used both to diagnose H. pylori and to confirm that treatment has successfully cleared the infection, often without you needing a more invasive test such as a gastroscopy with biopsy.

The substance used in the test is a naturally occurring, non-radioactive form of carbon already found in food and in your body, so it's considered safe, including for children and women of childbearing age.

How do I prepare for a urea breath test?

Your stomach needs to be empty, so you'll be asked to fast, with nothing to eat or drink, for 6 hours beforehand.

• Stop taking proton pump inhibitor medication, such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole or pantoprazole, for 2 weeks before the test
• Avoid antibiotics for several weeks beforehand, as these can affect the result – your clinic will confirm exactly how long
• You may be asked to avoid other indigestion remedies for a day or two before your appointment
• Don't smoke on the morning of the test.

If you're being tested to check whether treatment has worked, you'll usually need to wait at least 4 weeks after finishing your course of antibiotics before having this test, so the result is accurate.

What happens during a urea breath test?

1. You'll be asked a few questions to check the test is appropriate for you
2. You'll breathe into two test tubes to give a first breath sample
3. You'll be given a drink, usually citric acid or orange juice, followed by a second drink containing a small amount of urea dissolved in water
4. You'll wait for about 30 minutes, without eating or drinking, while this is absorbed
5. You'll breathe into two more test tubes, which completes the test.

The whole appointment takes around 40 minutes, and it isn't painful or unpleasant. If H. pylori is present in your stomach, it breaks down the urea, and this shows up as a change in your breath sample.

What happens after a urea breath test?

You can eat, drink and restart any medication you paused straight away, and go home or back to work without needing anyone to accompany you.

Your breath samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis. Results are typically available within about a week, though this varies between services, and are sent to you and your GP or referring doctor. If the result is positive, you'll usually be prescribed a short course of antibiotics.

What are the risks or side effects?

There are no known risks or side effects from this test.