SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.115 issue2Depressive symptoms and associated factors in caregivers of newborn infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unitRisk factors associated with tobacco, alcohol and drug use among adolescents attending secondary school in three cities from Argentina author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

  • Have no cited articlesCited by SciELO

Related links

  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO

Share


Archivos argentinos de pediatría

Print version ISSN 0325-0075On-line version ISSN 1668-3501

Abstract

ZAPATA-CASTILLEJA, Carlos A et al. Comparison of an increased waist circumference with a positive hydrogen breath test as a clinical predictor of lactose intolerance. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2017, vol.115, n.2, pp.148-154. ISSN 0325-0075.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2017.148.

Introduction. Lactose intolerance is a common disease in pediatrics, and its wrong diagnosis will lead to morbidity. The primary objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of an increased waist circumference during the hydrogen breath test as a predictor of lactose intolerance. The secondary objective was to analyze the impact of body mass index, waist circumference measurement, and age on the abdominal distension of patients with lactose intolerance. Population and methods. A total of 138 subjects aged 3 to 15 years were included. They underwent serial measurements of the waist circumference and hydrogen levels in the breath every 30 minutes over 3 hours during the hydrogen breath test. Results. Out of the entire sample, 35 (25.4%) patients had lactose intolerance. An increase of 0.85 cm in waist circumference compared to the baseline waist circumference results in a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 85% to predict lactose intolerance (odds ratio: 42.14, 95% confidence interval: 13.08-135.75, p < 0.001). The body mass index and waist circumference measurement did not affect abdominal distension (p= not significant); however, age modified the time of distension. Conclusions. A 0.85 cm increase in waist circumference compared to the baseline waist circumference during the hydrogen breath test is a useful parameter for the diagnosis of lactose intolerance in pediatrics. Variations in relation to body mass index and waist circumference did not affect the usefulness of an increased waist circumference, unlike age.

Keywords : Lactose intolerance; Waist circumference; Diagnosis; Exhaled hydrogen breath; Child.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License