Biomaterial Database

Sensitivity of bile acid breath test in the diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine with and without the stagnant (blind) loop syndrome. 1979

S Farivar, and H Fromm, and D Schindler, and F W Schmidt

The bile acid breath test was studied to examine its sensitivity for establishing the diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth in comparison to that of the Schilling test and small-intestinal cultures in 12 patients with a stagnant (blind) loop syndrome, as well as in 38 patients who had other conditions with suspected bacterial contamination of the small intestine. The presence of bile acid malabsorption was excluded in all 50 patients by studies of fecal excretion of radioactively labeled bile acids. The bile acid breath test was positive in 100% (12/12) of the patients with a stagnant (blind) loop syndrome, whereas 92% (11/12) had a positive Schilling test and 75% (9/12) a positive small-intestinal culture. The abnormal tests improved only in 2 of 4 patients treated with tetracycline. In the group of 38 patients without demonstrable dilated or blind loops of small bowel who were suspected of having bacterial contamination of small bowel, the bile acid breath test was positive in 53% (20/38), the Schilling test in 39% (15/38), and the small-intestinal culture in 45% (17/38). The difference in the incidence of positive results between the tests in the two patient groups was statistically not significant. The findings of these studies have the following diagnostic implications: (1) Bile acid breath test, Schilling test, and cultures of aspirates from the upper small bowel are of comparable sensitivity in the detection of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. (2) A negative bile acid breath test makes the diagnosis of a stagnant (blind) loop syndrome very unlikely.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007421	Intestine, Small	The portion of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT between the PYLORUS of the STOMACH and the ILEOCECAL VALVE of the LARGE INTESTINE. It is divisible into three portions: the DUODENUM, the JEJUNUM, and the ILEUM.	Small Intestine,Intestines, Small,Small Intestines
D008286	Malabsorption Syndromes	General term for a group of MALNUTRITION syndromes caused by failure of normal INTESTINAL ABSORPTION of nutrients.	Malabsorption Syndrome,Syndrome, Malabsorption,Syndromes, Malabsorption
D001765	Blind Loop Syndrome	A malabsorption syndrome that is associated with a blind loop in the upper SMALL INTESTINE that is characterized by the lack of peristaltic movement, stasis of INTESTINAL CONTENTS, and the overgrowth of BACTERIA. Such bacterial overgrowth interferes with BILE SALTS action, FATTY ACIDS processing, MICROVILLI integrity, and the ABSORPTION of nutrients such as VITAMIN B12 and FOLIC ACID.	Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome,Stagnant Loop Syndrome,Loop Syndrome, Stagnant,Loop Syndromes, Stagnant,Stagnant Loop Syndromes,Syndrome, Bacterial Overgrowth,Syndrome, Blind Loop,Syndrome, Stagnant Loop,Syndromes, Stagnant Loop
D001944	Breath Tests	Any tests done on exhaled air.	Breathalyzer Tests,Breath Test,Breathalyzer Test,Test, Breath,Test, Breathalyzer,Tests, Breath,Tests, Breathalyzer
D002250	Carbon Radioisotopes	Unstable isotopes of carbon that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. C atoms with atomic weights 10, 11, and 14-16 are radioactive carbon isotopes.	Radioisotopes, Carbon
D002860	Chromium Radioisotopes	Unstable isotopes of chromium that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. Cr atoms with atomic weights of 46-49, 51, 55, and 56 are radioactive chromium isotopes.	Radioisotopes, Chromium
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001419	Bacteria	One of the three domains of life (the others being Eukarya and ARCHAEA), also called Eubacteria. They are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. Bacteria can be classified by their response to OXYGEN: aerobic, anaerobic, or facultatively anaerobic; by the mode by which they obtain their energy: chemotrophy (via chemical reaction) or PHOTOTROPHY (via light reaction); for chemotrophs by their source of chemical energy: CHEMOLITHOTROPHY (from inorganic compounds) or chemoorganotrophy (from organic compounds); and by their source for CARBON; NITROGEN; etc.; HETEROTROPHY (from organic sources) or AUTOTROPHY (from CARBON DIOXIDE). They can also be classified by whether or not they stain (based on the structure of their CELL WALLS) with CRYSTAL VIOLET dye: gram-negative or gram-positive.	Eubacteria
D001647	Bile Acids and Salts	Steroid acids and salts. The primary bile acids are derived from cholesterol in the liver and usually conjugated with glycine or taurine. The secondary bile acids are further modified by bacteria in the intestine. They play an important role in the digestion and absorption of fat. They have also been used pharmacologically, especially in the treatment of gallstones.	Bile Acid,Bile Salt,Bile Salts,Bile Acids,Acid, Bile,Acids, Bile,Salt, Bile,Salts, Bile
D012546	Schilling Test	A diagnostic test in which vitamin B12 is tagged with radioactive cobalt, taken orally, and gastrointestinal absorption is determined via measurement of the amount of radioactivity in a 24-hour urine collection.	Test, Schilling