Malabsorción e intolerancia a lactosa, fructosa y sorbitol diagnosticadas mediante test de hidrógeno espirado: epidemiología y síntomas prevalentes.

Résumé

Introduction and aims: Carbohydrate intolerance and malabsorption have a nonspecific clinical appearance. The Hydrogen Breath Test (or HBT) is the chosen method of diagnosis. The objective of this research was to know the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of this pathology. Material and methods: Retrospective, descriptive and observational study about patients that underwent the HBT in the Hospital de Jerez de la Frontera between July 2017 and December 2018. Results: 353 patients were included, without any significant relationship between age, gender and BMI, and the presence of malabsorption or intolerance. The most common malabsorption was lactose (30,2%), being more frequent mild levels (I). It was especially significant the relationship between fructose and sorbitol malabsorption. Lactose intolerance was the most common (17,8% of the patients), being associated between lactose intolerance and fructose, as sorbitol intolerance and fructose were statistically significant. The most frequent digestive symptoms that led to the HBT were diarrhoea (42,9%), abdominal pain (29,1%) and abdominal bloating (20.3%), but there is not a significant association indicating that any of them is an indicator symptom of a positive HBT. Conclusions: Lactose, fructose and sorbitol malabsorption and intolerance are common in our setting, causing digestive symptoms that are often reasons for consultation. We have a simple method of diagnosis, but no predictive symptoms that are determinants of this pathology.