Location of the site of bacterial bile-salt deconjugation by combining abdominal scintigraphy with expired C-14.

A combined 14CO2 bile-salt breath and scintigraphic test has proved useful in determining the site of bile-salt deconjugation by bacteria. Data suggest that the procedure can be shortened to less than 8 hr with Tc-99m sulfur colloid abdominal scintigrams added to locate the labeled meal. Moreover the cumulative 14CO2 excretion, which is an indes of the rate of bile-salt deconjugation, gives clearer separation than peak specific activity between normals and either high or low deviations from normal, The test should be helpful in a number of difficult diagnostic problems involving chronic diarrhea, and offers as well both as well both a guide to appropriate therapy and a monitor for relapse in enfected blind-loop syndromes,