The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7196 p597-604
4 May 2002

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British Medical Journal (bmj.com)

H pylori breath test effective

A breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection is as effective as endoscopy and causes less distress for patients, a study shows. Scottish researchers compared the efficacy of the two procedures in 586 patients. No potentially serious disease was missed when the non-invasive test was used. The researchers conclude: "In this patient group, non-invasive testing for H pylori is as effective and safe as endoscopy and less uncomfortable and distressing for the patient." They recommend that non-invasive H pylori testing should be the preferred mode of investigation (BMJ 2002;324:999).