13C-urea breath test
Urea (13C)
Brand names: Diabact UBT, Helicobacter Test INFAI
Adult dose
Dose: 75–100mg PO with citric acid drink (after fasting); breath sample at 30 min
Route: PO
Frequency: single (diagnostic)
Clinical pearls
- H. pylori detection / eradication confirmation
- Stop PPI 2 weeks; antibiotic 4 weeks pre-test
Contraindications
- Recent PPI / antibiotic / bismuth (within 2-4 weeks)
- Atrophic gastritis
- Pregnancy
Side effects
- No significant
Interactions
- PPIs (false negative — stop ≥2 weeks)
- Antibiotics (stop ≥4 weeks)
Reference: BNF; NICE CG184; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/urea-13c/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
- Duke Treadmill Score · Coronary Artery Disease
- Pre-test Probability for Stable CAD (ESC 2019) · Chest Pain
- Thyroid Function Test Interpretation · Thyroid Disease
- Dix-Hallpike Test Interpretation / BPPV Assessment · Vestibular
- Snellen Visual Acuity Interpretation · Ophthalmology
- Ishihara Colour Vision Test Interpretation · Ophthalmology
Pathways
- Lower Gastrointestinal Bleed · BSG 2019; NICE NG141
- Variceal Upper GI Bleed · BSG 2015; Baveno VII (2022)
- Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) · BSG / EASL 2018
- Hepatorenal Syndrome · EASL 2018; ICA 2015
- Hepatic Encephalopathy · EASL 2014; West Haven criteria
- Clostridioides difficile Colitis · NICE NG199 (2021); IDSA/SHEA 2021