Citric Acid As The Test Meal for The 13C-Urea Breath Test

Abstract

The data are consistent with the marked effect of citric acid on gastric emptying and, possibly, distribution of the urea within the stomach being largely responsible for the enhanced urease activity with citric acid test meals. It should be possible to use a low dose of citric acid (e.g., 1 g per 200 ml) to enhance the simplicity and palatability of the test.