Fructose Malabsorption in Chilean Children Undergoing Fructose Breath Test at a Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Fructose is a highly abundant carbohydrate in western diet and may induce bowel symptoms in children as in adults. The main objective of this study is to describe the frequency of fructose malabsorption (FM) in symptomatic patients 18 years or younger undergoing fructose breath test in a single tertiary center between 2013 and 2018, and to evaluate whether certain symptoms are related to positivity of the test. Out of 273 tests 183 (67%) were compatible with FM. The most frequent pretest symptom in the overall study population was bloating (83%), followed by abdominal pain (73%). Patients with positive test were younger than those with a negative test (median 5 vs 8 years, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, which included age, sex, and symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea), only age <6 years (odds ratio 2.93, 95% confidence interval 1.64-5.23) and absence of nausea (odds ratio = 3.32, 95% confidence interval 1.56-7.05) were associated with FM.