Gastroenterological functional diagnostics

You will be given a special test solution to drink. At certain intervals, the hydrogen concentration in your exhaled breath will be used to determine whether you have lactose intolerance or fructose malabsorption. To perform the H2 breath test, you must wait four weeks after having a colonoscopy or taking antibiotics.

Infestation of the stomach with the bacterial strain Helicobacter pylori can be detected or ruled out by a half-hour 13C-HP breath test. This test can also be used as a control after the infestation has been destroyed (eradication). You should not take any antacid medication for two weeks before the test, and you should wait four weeks after an eradication therapy (destruction).

During this test, patients swallow a tiny capsule-sized camera that sends two images per second. These images help to diagnose diseases of the small intestine or bleeding in the small intestine. The examination, including preparation, is only carried out on an inpatient basis.

As part of the reflux diagnosis, we measure the pH through a special stomach tube placed in the oesophagus for 24 hours with or without impedance (resistance measurement). Patients should not take antacids for two weeks before this test.

The transit time in chronic constipation refers to the time it takes for stool to pass through the digestive tract and be expelled. In chronic constipation, this transit time is longer than normal. To measure the transit time, patients are given a pack of six labelled capsules. After taking the capsules, an X-ray is taken at a set time.

Neuropsychiatric disorders in liver failure are impairments of the brain and nervous system that occur as a result of inadequate liver function. The liver plays a crucial role in detoxifying and breaking down harmful substances in the body. If it is not functioning properly, toxic metabolites can affect the brain. In the psychometric tests, for example, we test the ability to handle combinations of numbers. All of these tests together give us information about the patient's possible concentration problems.

This examination provides information about the pressure conditions in the oesophagus. A special measuring catheter is passed through the nose to the oesophago-gastric junction.