H2 BREATH TESTS DURING DIARRHEA

Abstract
The peak rise in breath hydrogen and the volume of excess pulmonary excretion of hydrogen in response to a 10 g dose of the non‐absorbable disaccharide, lactulose, was significantly lower in children with active gastroenteritis and diarrhea than in non‐diarrheal controls. Thus, despite the fact that the H2 breath test is a convenient, noninvasive technology for use in children, it cannot be recommended for measuring carbohydrate malabsorption in individuals with active, on‐going episodes of diarrhea.