A new method for the detection of hydrogen in breath and its application to acquired and inborn sugar malabsorption.

An electrochemical device for the measurement of hydrogen in end-expired air is described and compared with an existing gas chromatographic method. The application of both these methods to subjects with acquired and inborn defects of sugar malabsorption is documented. Our simplified method of breath collection and the rapid estimation of hydrogen concentration provides a reliable, convenient and well-tolerated means of detecting sugar malabsorption.