Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGPClinical Lead • iatroX
In a primary care setting, the provided UK guidelines, such as those for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and dyspepsia, do not explicitly recommend specific diagnostic tests for confirming small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) NICE CG61,NICE CKS,NICE CKS,NICE CKS. These guidelines primarily focus on ruling out other conditions that present with similar gastrointestinal symptoms NICE CG61,NICE CKS,NICE CKS,NICE CKS. However, European guidelines indicate that hydrogen and methane breath tests are the recommended diagnostic methods for SIBO [Hammer et al., 2022]. These tests involve the ingestion of a substrate, such as glucose or lactulose, and subsequent measurement of hydrogen and methane gases in the breath [Hammer et al., 2022].
Key References
- CG61 - Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management
- CKS - Dyspepsia - unidentified cause
- CKS - Dyspepsia - proven functional
- CKS - Irritable bowel syndrome
- NG20 - Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management
- NG115 - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management
- (Hammer et al., 2022): European guideline on indications, performance, and clinical impact of hydrogen and methane breath tests in adult and pediatric patients: European Association for Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Nutrition, European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, and European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition consensus.