Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection

Breath test You might hear this called a urea breath test. During the test, you swallow a pill, liquid or pudding that contains tagged carbon molecules in a substance called urea. If you have an H. pylori infection, carbon is released when the solution makes contact with the germs. This breaks down the urea, releasing the carbon. Because your body absorbs the carbon, it is released when you breathe out. To measure the release of carbon, you blow into a bag. A device detects the carbon molecules to find out if more are released after taking the substance that contains urea. This test can be used for adults and children older than 6 who can follow along with the test instructions. Scope test This test checks your upper digestive system. It's also called an upper endoscopy exam. Your healthcare professional may recommend it to check on symptoms that may be caused by a peptic ulcer or gastritis. These and certain other conditions can stem from H. pylori infections. For this exam, you're given medicine to help you relax. Then, your healthcare professional threads a camera attached to a long, flexible tube down your throat and esophagus. This tool is called an endoscope. The endoscope goes into your stomach and the first part of the intestine, called the duodenum. It lets your healthcare professional view any issues in your upper digestive tract. Your healthcare professional also might use the endoscope to take tissue samples. This is called a biopsy. These samples are checked by a lab for an H. pylori infection. An upper endoscopy is more invasive than a breath or stool test. So it's often not used to diagnose an H. pylori infection alone. Healthcare professionals may use an upper endoscopy for further testing and to look for other digestive conditions. They also can use this test to figure out exactly which antibiotic is best to treat H. pylori infection, especially if the first antibiotics tried didn't get rid of the infection. This test may need to be done again after treatment for an H. pylori infection. It depends on what is found at the first endoscopy or if your symptoms continue after treatment. Testing considerations The same tests used for diagnosis can be used to tell if the H. pylori infection is gone after treatment. In general, you wait at least four weeks after you finish your antibiotic treatment to get these follow-up tests. If your treatment includes certain other medicines, you'll also need to wait up to two weeks before follow-up testing. These medicines can affect the accuracy of the test results and include: Medicine that can be used for ulcer treatment called bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol). Medicines to lessen stomach acid called proton pump inhibitors and histamine (H-2) blockers. Your healthcare professional gives you specific instructions about your medicines. The role of screening tests In places where H. pylori infections and their complications are common, healthcare professionals sometimes test healthy people for H. pylori. This is called screening. Whether there is a benefit to this testing when you have no symptoms of infection is controversial among experts. If you're concerned about an H. pylori infection, talk with your healthcare professional. Together you can decide whether H. pylori testing might be right for you. For example, your healthcare professional may recommend screening if you have a high risk of stomach cancer. Treatment may lower the chances that a stomach ulcer caused by an H. pylori infection becomes cancerous.