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Breath Collection from Children for Disease Biomarker Discovery
Published on: February 14, 2019
Review article: the assessment of liver function using breath tests.
1Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. deborah@hadassah.org.il
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|September 18, 2007
Summary
A new real-time liver function breath test offers a simple way to assess liver health. This sensitive tool aids in diagnosing and monitoring liver disorders, improving patient care.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Medical Diagnostics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Assessing liver function is challenging due to liver complexity.
- Traditional metabolic tests are often cumbersome.
- Point-of-care liver function breath tests offer a practical solution.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review data on breath tests for liver reserve assessment.
- Explore applications in clinical hepatology.
- Evaluate breath tests in diverse liver conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes a (13)C-methacetin breath test.
- Focuses on real-time, point-of-care assessment.
- Reviews existing clinical data.
Main Results:
- The (13)C-methacetin breath test accurately monitors patients with liver damage.
- It detects improvements in liver function and treatment effects.
- Applicable in acute, sub-acute, and chronic liver conditions.
Conclusions:
- Continuous quantification of methacetin metabolism via breath testing is effective.
- This method serves as a sensitive tool for liver disorder diagnosis.
- It is valuable for patient follow-up in hepatology.
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