UREASE BREATH TESTING (UBT) for Helicobacter PylorI

What is a UBT? 
A UBT is a test designed to test for the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach.

Why do I need a UBT?
A UBT is utilized when your specialist has a suspicion that you have symptoms (usually heartburn, reflux or abdominal pain) that might indicate the presence of Helicobacter pylori, or after you have had treatment of Helicobacter pylori to ensure the bacteria is adequately treated.

Helicobacter pylori is important because it causes reflux, abdominal pain and stomach ulcers. It also increases the likelihood of developing stomach cancer. As a consequence it is important to find Helicobacter pylori if it is present, and treat it appropriately. Helicobacter pylori is usually very simple to treat, with a week-long course of antibiotics.

How is a UBT performed?
The UBT is performed in the Gippsland Specialist Group consulting suites. A Carbon 14 tablet will be swallowed initially with a sip of water to allow your specialist to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori if it is present. After 10 minutes, the breath test can then be performed. This involves simply blowing into a detector device (not dissimilar to a roadside alcohol breath test or blowing up a balloon) a few times.

What are the risks of a UBT?
UBT is a very safe procedure with no appreciable complications and no side effects. Please feel free to discuss the possibility of any extremely rare complications with your specialist if you would like more information prior to your procedure. 

I still have some questions. Where can I go?
For further information, please browse through our Info Section, catch us through our Contact Us page or reach out to our friendly Gippsland Specialist Group staff on (03) 5630 8800.

We also have some other Info Sheets on our website about UBT that might help - please click here.
To download this UBT Information page as a pdf - please click here.