Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability of the breath test urea 13C in the primary care for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection. DESIGN: Descriptive, prospective and multicentric.Location. Urban area belonging to the Health Center Actur Sur of Zaragoza with participation of Miguel Servet Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 87 patients with clinical diagnosis of functional dispepsia. In all of them was made a breath test with 13C urea as well as a gastroscopy with taking of samples for histology and ureasa fast test. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Age, sex and the presence of positivity or negativity of infection by Hp were valued in the histology, ureasa test and in the breath test, considering the histology and the ureasa test like gold tests for this measurement, reason why it was demanded that the positive or outside negative result in both considering it nonambiguous. RESULTS: Two cases were excluded by ambiguous results. The 77.6% (66/85) were positive by histology and ureasa test, and these, 92.4% (61/66) were positives to the breath test. The sensitivity of this test was 92% and the specificity 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The breath test in primary care has a high value diagnosis of Hp infection, being able to avoid, in some cases, another invasives techniques like gastroscopy.