Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1998. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 15, 1998; 4(Suppl2): 45-48
Published online Oct 15, 1998. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v4.iSuppl2.45
Breath hydrogen determination in patients following partial gastrectomy
Jia-Ju Zheng, Xia-Shuang Zhu, Yu-Ming Wang
Jia-Ju Zheng, Xia-Shuang Zhu, Yu-Ming Wang, Suzhou Institute of Digestive Disease and Nutrition (SIDDN) Section of Gastroenterology, The Third People’s Hospital of Suzhou, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
Jia-Ju Zheng, MD, PhD, Director of SIDDN; Visiting Scientist, Tufts University at Boston, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Jia-Ju Zheng, MD, PhD, Director of SIDDN, Section of Gastroenterology, The Third People’s Hospital of Suzhou, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
Received: July 7, 1998
Revised: August 9, 1998
Accepted: September 4, 1998
Published online: October 15, 1998
Abstract

AIM: The study was aimed at the unknown mechanisms of gastroin testinal symptoms and accompanied malnutrition in patients following partial gastrectomy.

METHODS: Thirty-six patients who had their gastric resection at least five years ago and forty-one normal controls were included in the study. Nutritional status as indicated by anthropometry measurements, glucose hydrogen breath test G-HBT) before and after antibiotic treatment and mouth-cecum trans it time (MCTT) with lactose hydrogen breath test (L-HBT) were simultaneously determined. The Student’s t test was used for statistical analysis of all the data of the study.

RESULTS: Anthropometry measurements showed that decreased values (at least 10% lower than the ideal values) of body weight (BW), triceps skinfol d thickness (TSF) and mid-arm circumference (MC) were observed in 63.2%, 94.7 % and 73.3% of the patients studied respectively. A positive result of 50g G-H HBT was seen in 10 cases out of 26 patients (38.5%) who were undertaken the test. Six of the 9 patients with negative 50 g G-HBT were positive following a 80 g G-HBT. Hydrogen excretion in six patients with positive 50 g or 80 g G-BHT were significantly decreased after antibiotic treatment. Further studies of 25 L-BHT showed a significant difference of MCTTs either between the post-gastrectomy patients with or without chronic diarrhea, or between patient and control groups, i.e. an average MCTT of 58.8, 85.7 and 105.9 min in each group.

CONCLUSION: Malnutrition was common in patients a few years aft er their gastrectomies. About forty percent of positive G-HBT, and effective antibiotic treatment and reduced MCTT determination were observed in these patients. The results suggested that bacterial overgrowth and increased small bowel transit may play a role in the development of gastrointestinal symptoms and related malnutrition in patients following gastrectomy.

Keywords: Gastrectomy; Nutritional status; Glucose hydrogen breath test; Mouth cecum transit time; Lactose hydrogen breath test