Definitions for "Urea Breath Test"
(yoo-REE-uh breth test) A test used to detect Helicobacter pylori infection. The test measures breath samples for urease, an enzyme H. pylori makes.
The urea breath test is based on the ability of H. pylori to break down the chemical urea. Patients swallow a capsule or drink containing urea made with radiolabeled carbon. If H. pylori is present in the stomach, it breaks down the urea into nitrogen and carbon, releasing carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is absorbed across the lining of the stomach and into the blood. It then is excreted from the lungs in the breath. Samples of exhaled breath are collected, and the labeled carbon in the exhaled carbon dioxide is measured.
A test used to detect urease, an enzyme produced by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type of bacteria that usually infects the stomach or duodenum (first part of the small intestine).