SynthesisDigestive diseases and sciences2010
Abnormal breath testing in IBS: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 49 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparison Between Lactulose and Glucose Breath Tests as Predictors of Clinical Benefit From Rifaximin in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Rifaximin in Combination With N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in Adult Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Diarrhea
Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 164 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for irritable bowel syndrome.Journal of gastroenterology · 2015Guideline
- Meta-analysis: antibiotic therapy for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2013Pooled it
- Methane on breath testing is associated with constipation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2011Pooled it
- Short-course Rifaximin therapy efficacy and lactulose hydrogen breath test in Chinese patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.BMC gastroenterology · 2020Trial
- Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study of Rifaximin and Lactulose Hydrogen Breath Test in Gulf War Veterans with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2019Trial
- Antibiotic treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2014Trial
- Exploring effectiveness of Metronidazole, Bismuth, and Rifaximin in treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review.World journal of methodology · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of the low FODMAP diet in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndrome.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Review
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Gut Microbiome: A Comprehensive Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Lactase Deficiency Diagnosed by Endoscopic Biopsy-based Method is Associated With Positivity to Glucose Breath Test.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2023Article
- Role of Glucose Breath Test for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Children and Adolescents With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in Korea.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2022Article
- Development of colonic transit time and ultrasound imaging tools as objective indicators for assessing abnormal defecation associated with food intake: a narrative review based on previous scientific knowledge.BioPsychoSocial medicine · 2021Review
- Post-infection Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Gastroenterology clinics of North America · 2021Review
- Breath Test or Duodenal Aspirate for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: Still No Breath of Fresh Air.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2021Article
- Restrictive diet in a patient with irritable bowel syndrome leading to Wernicke encephalopathy.BMC gastroenterology · 2021Article
- Microbiome and Its Role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2020Review
- Role of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Inflammation in Obese Children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2020Article
- Article
- Usefulness of the hydrogen breath test in patients with functional dyspepsia.Przeglad gastroenterologiczny · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecent evidence suggests a role for enteric bacteria in the development of symptoms in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The concept was initially based on the common finding of an abnormal lactulose breath test to suggest the presence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Despite successful antibiotic studies based on these findings, the premise of bacterial overgrowth was met with skepticism due to the perceived inaccuracies of breath testing in humans. In this study, we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the studies using breath testing in IBS subjects with comparison to healthy controls.
methodsA literature search was conducted to identify studies in which breath testing was conducted in subjects with IBS. Once abstract titles were identified, studies that examined breath testing in a case-control fashion were identified for paper review. After exclusion criteria were applied, the remaining papers were examined using meta-analysis, among which the prevalence of an abnormal breath test in IBS subjects was compared. Further analysis was conducted among studies with appropriate age- and sex-matched controls.
resultsEleven studies met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Although heterogeneity was identified among studies on the basis of substrate used, lactulose was the most common substrate. In pooling the 11 studies, breath testing was more often abnormal among IBS subjects than health controls (OR=4.46, 95% CI=1.69-11.80). This was further evident in more appropriately designed age- and sex-matched studies (OR=9.64, 95% CI=4.26-21.82). The overall sensitivity and specificity for breath testing in separating IBS from healthy controls was 43.6 and 83.6%.
conclusionsThis study demonstrates that the breath test findings in IBS appear to be valid. While this meta-analysis does not suggest that the breath test findings imply SIBO, the abnormal fermentation timing and dynamics of the breath test findings support a role for abnormal intestinal bacterial distribution in IBS.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.