Evaluation of urea breath test as a diagnostic tool for Helicobacter pylori infection in adult dyspeptic patients

Table 1 Comparative assessment of different techniques for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori Infection

Criteria	Invasive tests	Non-invasive tests
Technique	Endoscopy	UBT, stool antigen, serology
Sample	Biopsy	UB, stool, serum
Sampling error	++	Variable
Accuracy	The gold standard	Variable
Skill and experience	++	Easily applicable
Time of results	Short	Longer (variable)
Cost	++	+
Contraindications	May not be suitable for all patients	Suitable for most patients
Equipment and infrastructure	+++	++
Availability	Available in specialized settings	Widely available in various healthcare settings
Patient discomfort	++	Minimum
Post-treatment monitoring	+	+++

UB: Urea breath; UBT: Urea breath test.