Table 2.
IBS patients and healthy subjects (HS) with indication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth according to different glucose and lactulose breath test based definitions.
| IBS (n = 17) | HS (n = 20) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose Breath test | |||
| Fasting levels of H2 ≥ 15 ppm | 2 | 3 | >0.99 |
| Fasting levels of CH4 ≥ 15 ppm | 3 | 5 | 0.71 |
| Rise of H2 or CH4 ≥ 20 above baseline within 90 min | 0 | 0 | N.A. |
| Lactulose Breath test | |||
| Fasting levels of H2 ≥ 15 ppm | 1 | 3 | 0.61 |
| Fasting levels of CH4 ≥ 15 ppm | 1 | 3 | 0.61 |
| Rise of H2 ≥ 20 ppm above baseline within 90 min | 2 | 2 | >0.99 |
| Rise of CH4 ≥ 20 ppm above baseline within 90 min | 1 | 0 | 0.44 |
| Two distinct peaks of H2 or CH4 > 20 ppm | 0 | 1 | 0.44 |
N.A. = Non applicable; HS = Healthy Subjects.