• Ana Thereza Britto Gomes, Luciano Kowalsky Coelho, Marie Secaf, José Luiz Pimenta Módena, Luiz Ernesto de Almeida Troncon, and Ricardo Brandt de Oliveira.
• Hospital das Clinicas, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2002 May 2; 120 (3): 687168-71.

ContextThe development of simple, accurate and low-expense techniques for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection has great relevance.ObjectiveTo determine the accuracy of a rapid 14C-urea breath test (UBT) employing a very simple device for breathed air collection.DesignProspective study.SettingHospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto.ParticipantsOne hundred and thirty-seven adult patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in the Clinical Hospital.Main MeasurementsHistology for Helicobacter pylori (HP); urease test; urea breath test (UBT).ResultsOne hundred and fifteen patients were infected by HP (HP+) according to both histology and the urease test, and 22 patients were HP-negative (HP-), according to the same two tests. UBT was capable of discriminating between HP+ and HP- in a way that was similar to the combination of urease test and histology. When this combination of results is taken as the "gold standard" for HP infection, the sensitivity and specificity of UBT are both greater than 90% for a range of cut-off points and breathed air collection times.ConclusionThe rapid UBT employing a simple device for air collection has a high accuracy in determining HP infection.

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