Gastroenterology is a medical specialty which is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal system. This includes problems associated with the colon, rectum, small bowel, stomach, oesophagus, liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas.
Get in touch today with one of our team and we’ll arrange a time that suits you to see one of our specialists.
Acute hepatitis infection can make a person feel unwell, but most people recover fully. A simple blood test can establish whether the person still has the hepatitis B virus in the blood or whether the person has been able to successfully get rid of the virus.
Chronic hepatitis B is when the test is positive for the hepatitis B virus for more than 6 months. This means that the immune system was not able to get rid of the hepatitis B virus and it still remains in the blood and liver. Chronic hepatitis B infection can lead to scarring (cirrhosis) and cancer of the liver. Treatment is focused on preventing long-term liver damage.
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is the most common preventable cause of liver disease in New Zealand. The hepatitis C virus is carried in blood and can be passed to someone through blood-to-blood contact, such as sharing needles.
In New Zealand we have access to a very effective medicine called Maviret. Most people with hepatitis C can be cured with a course of Maviret treatment. After 8 weeks of treatment more than 90% of people will be cured of the disease.
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/h/hepatitis-c/
Breath testing is a noninvasive test which measures the amount of hydrogen or methane that you breathe out after drinking a mixture of glucose and water. A rapid rise in exhaled hydrogen or methane may indicate bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine.
Two separate breath tests are required with the initial test being a control test using lactulose (a mild laxative). This will determine whether you are a hydrogen or methane producer to ensure the correct gas is measured on subsequent testing. 15% of patients do not produce hydrogen and methane needs to be measured instead.
The breathalyser used at the Cambridge Specialist Centre only detects hydrogen when it is breathed out from the lungs. If the initial lactulose test identifies that you do not produce hydrogen, then methane testing will be used and the sealed samples will be sent to Auckland for analysis.
Testing occurs over two separate days.
Breath hydrogen and methane tests are used to determine intolerances to both lactose (the sugar found in milk) and/or fructose (the sugar found in honey and many fruits). Three separate breath tests are required with the initial test being a control test using lactulose (a mild laxative). This will determine whether you are a hydrogen or methane producer to ensure the correct gas is measured on subsequent testing. 15% of patients do not produce hydrogen and methane needs to be measured instead.
The breathalyser used at the Cambridge Specialist Centre only detects hydrogen when it is breathed out from the lungs. If the initial lactulose test identifies that you do not produce hydrogen, then methane testing will be used and the sealed samples will be sent to Auckland for analysing.
Testing occurs over three separate days.
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