Intestinal bacteria have the ability to metabolize various substrates (lactulose, glucose, etc.) producing hydrogen and/or methane. These gases, when they reach the pulmonary alveoli through the circulation, are eliminated in the exhaled air and can thus be measured by this device. This allows, indirectly, the determination of excess bacteria in the intestine, the assessment of intolerance to certain ingested substrates, and the measurement of mouth-blind transit time.
Breath tests are useful for evaluating the intestinal fermentation profile in patients with abdominal distension or bloating, gas, recurrent abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, or constipation. They are also used in patients with rosacea, fatty liver, metabolic syndrome, or diverticular disease of the colon.
