Page Banner
Diagnosing H. pylori Infection
Diagnosing H. pylori Infection

H. pylori Infection.

The Urea Breath Test (UBT) and the H. pylori Stool Antigen test are common tests used to accurately diagnose whether you have an H. pylori infection. Detecting H. pylori is essential in identifying the cause of your symptoms and/or ulcers in the absence of more advanced signs. It is also valuable post-treatment to ensure the infection has been eliminated.

How is the test performed?

Antigen Test – Stool Sample
UBT – Breath Sample
Order now*
*Online purchase option is only available for the stool antigen test

FAQs

What is an H. pylori Infection?

An H. pylori infection of the digestive tract is caused by a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, and although it is a very common infection, it is known to lead to the development of peptic ulcers and other stomach issues in some cases. 

What are the testing options for H. pylori infection?

The Urea Breath Test (UBT) and the H. pylori stool antigen test are the two most common tests used to diagnose an infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Testing detects an infection of the digestive tract which is essential in identifying the cause of symptoms and/or ulcers in the absence of other more severe features.

UBT

The UBT measures the amount of carbon dioxide in the breath before and after drinking a solution containing urea. When the H. pylori bacteria breaks down urea, carbon dioxide gets released, so if the amount of carbon dioxide in your second breath sample is higher than the amount in your first sample, it indicates that an H. pylori infection is present.

H. pylori Stool Antigen Test

The H. pylori stool antigen test looks for substances (called antigens) found in your stool (or feces) that trigger the immune system to fight an H. pylori infection. It is a useful alternative to the Urea Breath Test (UBT).

Who should get tested?

You should get tested when you have symptoms of an ulcer, such as ongoing indigestion, gastrointestinal pain that comes and goes, unexplained weight loss, nausea and/or vomiting. It is also recommended to get tested again about 4-6 weeks after completing treatment for the infection. 

When are these tests ordered?

Most people that have an H. pylori infection do not realize it because they do not experience any signs or symptoms. However, your doctor may order the UBT, or stool antigen test (if the UBT is not available), if you meet the following criteria:

  • You are experiencing the signs and symptoms of a peptic ulcer
  • You are under the age of 60
  • You are in the early stages of disease progression, based on your signs and symptoms, but do not require an endoscopy at this time
How can I get tested?

To have the UBT completed you will need to schedule an appointment*. Prior to visiting the Patient Service Centre, please ensure you have a completed and signed test requisition from your health care provider as the sample cannot be collected without one.

If the UBT is not available and/or your health care provider has decided you need the stool antigen test completed, you will need to obtain a collection container and provide a stool sample at a LifeLabs Patient Service Centre. Prior to visiting the Patient Service Centre please ensure you have a completed and signed test requisition from your health care provider as samples cannot be accepted without one. In addition, samples should be collected and dropped off at our Patient Service Centres on the same day.

For Ontario patients, both the UBT and stool antigen test are uninsured and will need to be ordered and paid for privately. You can order the stool antigen test online by clicking here. The UBT is not currently available for online purchase.

* In Ontario, appointments for the UBT must be booked by phone by calling 1-877-849-3637

Understanding your results

Test results will be provided directly to your doctor for discussion with you. The report will indicate if H. pylori is detected in your breath or stool sample. Results are reported as positive, indicating the presence of an H. pylori infection, or negative, meaning either you do not have an H. pylori infection, or the infection was not detected by the test.

FAQs

Overview

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacteria that is present in half the world’s population. H. pylori infection has a known association with peptic ulcer disease (duodenal and gastric) and chronic active gastritis. The most likely route of infection is either oral-to-oral contact or fecal-to-oral contact.

Urea Breath Test (UBT)

The most accurate, noninvasive method for detecting H. pylori is the UBT. The test is based on the large level of urease that is produced by all H. pylori strains. It is a very reliable test that has been validated in both adults and children. Fasting patients consume a small amount of either 14C- or 13C-labeled urea. As urease degrades, urea labeled carbon dioxide is released into the bloodstream via the gastric mucosa and is detected in a breath sample. Results are reported as positive for an H. pylori infection or negative for the absence of an infection.

For patients undergoing ulcer therapy, the UBT should be offered after 4 to 8 weeks of the eradication treatment. The UBT is recommended in leading society guidelines as a preferred non-invasive choice for detecting H. pylori before and after treatment1

Stool Antigen Test

The H. pylori stool antigen test uses enzyme immunoassay to detect antigen proteins in the patient’s stool sample. The results of this test are reported as H. pylori antigen detected, not detected, or indeterminate. The presence of H. pylori is indicated as a positive result (antigen detected). A negative result (antigen not detected) typically indicates the absence of H. pylori, or possibly, an antigenic level below the immunoassay detection limit.

If your patient has initiated ulcer therapy during the two-week period leading up to specimen collection, a false-negative result is possible. If that occurs, the patient should wait until two weeks after the treatment is completed to have the test redone on a new specimen. If an indeterminate result is reported, retesting with a new specimen will also be required.

How to order

UBT

The patient must schedule an appointment at a LifeLabs Patient Service Centre to have their breath sample collected*. Patients must present a requisition form signed by a physician or healthcare provider at the time of testing.

* In Ontario, appointments for the UBT must be booked by phone by calling 1-877-849-3637

Stool Antigen Test

The patient must obtain a collection container and provide a stool sample at any of LifeLabs Patient Service Centres. Patients must present a requisition form signed by a physician or healthcare provider. A scheduled appointment time is not required for an H. pylori stool antigen test, the patient simply needs to drop off a stool sample as per the instructions.

Cost

Cost in Ontario.

The UBT and stool antigen tests are currently uninsured in Ontario.

The cost for the UBT is $110

The cost for the antigen test is $198

Payment may be made by the patient at LifeLabs Patient Service Centres either at their appointment for the UBT or when dropping off the stool sample for the antigen test. For convenience, Visa, Mastercard and Debit Cards are accepted.

Patients are encouraged to check with their private healthcare insurer to see if coverage is provided.

Cost in British Columbia.

Both tests are covered under the Medical Services Plan (MSP) in British Columbia

Receiving results

Results will be available to you within 8 days.

Request a medical consult

We have a wealth of medical experts available to support you in interpreting test results.

Consults with our experts are available upon request. 

    Request more information

    Schedule a test

    Patients do not need to schedule an appointment time for an H. pylori stool antigen test, they simply need to drop off a stool sample as per the instructions, along with a completed requisition from their healthcare provider. Samples not accompanied by a requisition will not be accepted.

    Sources

    People who looked at the H. pylori Stool Antigen were also interested in:

    Featured
    Services
    Assessing risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD)

    Klinrisk

    Klinrisk is an AI algorithm based on results from routine blood and urine tests. It generates a score for patients with CKD, to predict the progression of disease before kidney function is lost. The model is built on a foundation of lab data from large nationa...
    Learn More
    Testosterone Test

    Bioavailable Testosterone Testing

    Measures total available testosterone to be used by the body.
    Learn More
    Assess your risk of developing liver fibrosis

    Liver Fibrosis Testing

    Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) Index and Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF™) Score are used to screen for liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. Screening is essential for treating patients with fatty liver disease and associated risks, like ob...
    Learn More
    Sexually Transmitted Infection of the Genital and Urinary Tract

    Mycoplasma Genitalium Testing

    Canadian studies estimate the prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium infection at 3-8%. 
    Learn More
    Your trusted healthcare partner for supporting Immigration Medical Exams.

    Immigration Diagnostic Test Panel

    LifeLabs® is the largest medical diagnostic laboratory in Canada, that works with government-regulated immigration panel physicians to offer immigration medical exams in an efficient, timely, and customer-focused manner. The Immigration Medical Exa...
    Learn More

    Testing Options for Long
    COVID Assessment

    The use of various diagnostic tests for Long COVID should be considered for patients with ongoing symptoms associated with Long COVID to assess for conditions that may respond to treatment, once basic testing such as complete blood count, basic metabolic profi...
    Learn More
    COVID-19 Antibody Testing

    COVID-19 Antibody Blood Test Panel

    IMPORTANT: This test is no longer available for purchase.  For customers that already have a requisition, samples will continue to be collected at our Patient Service Centers until Sept 30, 2023.

    Learn More
    Diagnosing Allergies

    Serum Allergy Testing

    The serum allergy test is one type of allergy test that can be used to assist in the diagnosis and management of allergies. Through a simple blood test, analyzed in a laboratory, your doctor can uncover the amount of allergen-specific antibodies, called Immuno...
    Learn More
    COVID-19 Antibody Testing

    COVID-19 Antibody Blood Test

    Find out if you’ve had COVID-19 through an Antibody test.
    This blood test detects prior infection, even if you never experienced symptoms.
    Learn More
    Reaching a definitive diagnosis of hypertension

    24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM)

    Learn More
    Take the guesswork out of your diet

    IgG Food Sensitivity Testing

    Symptoms associated with food sensitivities develop slowly over time and can create inflammation and contribute to symptoms of a variety of diseases. The RMA FST™ IgG Food Sensitivity test can help identify potential food sensitivities and t...
    Learn More
    Colorectal Cancer Screening

    Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)

    FIT is a safe and painless at-home cancer screening test. FIT checks someone’s stool (poop) for tiny amounts of blood, which could be caused by colon cancer and some pre-cancerous polyps (growths in the colon or rectum that can turn into cancer over time). W...
    Learn More
    Colorectal Cancer Screening

    Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)

    FIT is a safe and painless stool-based test used for screening people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer. FIT checks for the presence of occult blood in the stool, which can be an early sign of colorectal cancer and/or pre-cancerous lesions. When ...
    Learn More
    (Omega-3)

    Omega-3 Fatty Acid

    The Omega-3 Fatty Acid test quantifies the fatty acids present in a sample of a patient’s whole blood. Specific levels of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the blood hav...
    Learn More
    Helping Naturopathic Doctors Gain a Better View of the Health Status of their Patients

    Patient Assessment Panels

    Patient Assessment Panels enable you to provide your Naturopathic Doctor with a complete picture of your health. Now you can access the blood work required to make informed decisions on how to be your healthiest you!
    1. Convenient
    2. Comprehensive <...
    Learn More
    Personalized Risk Assessment of Prostate Cancer

    SelectMDx Testing

    Learning you have elevated PSA can be alarming news, but elevated PSA does not mean you have clinically significant disease and require a biopsy or treatment. SelectMDx is a novel decision support tool and provides your urologist with additional important info...
    Learn More
    Fecal Calprotectin Testing

    Differentiating Between
    IBS and IBD

    Canada has one of the highest incidence and prevalence rates of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome in the world. With symptoms of these two conditions appearing similar, Fecal Calprotectin testing can provide an accurate diagnosis in many ...
    Learn More
    QuantiFERON®-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus)

    QUANTIFERON-TB GOLD Plus (FOR TB SCREENING)

    QuantiFERON®-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is a simple blood test that aids in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria which causes tuberculosis (TB). Like its predecessor, QFT-Plus is an interferon gamma release assay, commonly known as an IGRA, ...
    Learn More
    Know Your Risk for Heart Attacks

    SmartVascular Dx™

    The second leading cause of death among Canadians, heart attacks are often a silent killer with no signs or symptoms before they strike. Often resulting from coronary heart disease, heart attacks can be predicted and even prevented if you know and manage your ...
    Learn More
    Early Detection of Prostate Cancer

    Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test

    One in seven men in Canada will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. The third leading cause of cancer death, when prostate cancer is detected early, the more likely it can be successfully treated.
    Learn More
    Determine your risk of bone fractures

    Osteoporosis

    Known as the “silent thief”, osteoporosis is responsible for the loss of bone mass without obvious symptoms until a bone is broken. By knowing your risk through a Serum CTX Test, you can prevent, delay or reduce bone loss.
    Learn More
    Early Detection of Cervical Cancer

    HPV Testing

    About 75% of sexually active women will get a least one HPV infection in their lifetime. With HPV the primary cause of cervical cancer, the HPV test detects the presence of high-risk HPV strain(s).
    Learn More
    Diagnosing Celiac Disease

    Celiac Disease

    Celiac disease can arise at any age creating damage to your intestines and starving your body of critical nutrients. With a range of symptoms commonly associated with other conditions, knowing if you are celiac, or simply have a gluten allergy or intolerance, ...
    Learn More
    Detecting Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Anti-CCP

    The daily pain, stiffness and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis can go undiagnosed for months causing permanent damage to your body. Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis at its earliest stages can prevent damage and improve long-term quality of life.
    Learn More
    Fertility Test

    Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH)

    With one in six couples across Canada experiencing difficulty in becoming pregnant, AMH levels can provide valuable insight into predicting a response for IVF treatment.
    Learn More
    Vitamin Levels

    25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Test

    Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus and is essential
    for proper growth and healthy teeth and bones throughout your life.