Meretek Diagnostics To Exhibit H. Pylori Bacteria Test At 2007 ACOFP Meeting In Kissimmee

Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Conferences
Article Date: 13 Mar 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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Meretek Diagnostics is demonstrating its BreathTek(TM) UBT (urea breath test) kit at the 2007 American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) Annual Convention & Exhibition. The annual meeting takes place March 14-16, 2007, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla.

BreathTek is the only breath test available that is FDA approved to test for both initial diagnosis and eradication of H. pylori infection, which is commonly associated with peptic ulcers and has been linked to gastric cancer.

A recent H Pylori demonstration project conducted by the Central Florida Partnership on Health Disparities (CFPHD) found H. Pylori to be especially prevalent in African-American, Hispanic, Asian and elderly populations in Florida.

Overall, about one in three adults in the U.S. is infected with H. pylori, one in 10 may develop a peptic ulcer over their lifetime, and 80 to 90 percent of peptic ulcers are caused by an H. pylori infection. However, the diagnosis and treatment of dyspepsia remains inaccurate in the primary care setting.

A recently published study in the American Journal of Managed Care reported that about one third of patients treated for H. pylori were not tested for infection prior to treatment, and less than 15 percent of patients treated for the bacteria were tested after treatment to confirm eradication.(1)

Despite their continued use, blood tests cannot distinguish between an active infection and a past infection. Since H. pylori is contagious and a class-one carcinogen, it's important for patients and physicians to accurately diagnose and treat an active infection.

Meretek will be demonstrating its BreathTek test to diagnose active H. pylori infection in booth #500. The simple, non-radioactive, non-invasive test is 95 percent sensitive and specific, and is also used to confirm eradication following treatment.

For a complete listing of features and benefits of the BreathTek UBT, visit http://www.meretek.com/physician_testing.asp.

Look for Meretek at these upcoming shows: the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians March 29-31 in Omaha, Neb., and the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians in Louisville, Ky., April 20-21.

(1) American Journal of Managed Care. 2007; 13:1, 37-44.

About Meretek Diagnostics

Located in Lafayette, Colo., Meretek Diagnostics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Otsuka America, a healthcare company engaged in the development of advanced, non-invasive, non-radioactive breath tests and instrumentation. Meretek was founded in 1993 by a group from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. The company holds exclusive licenses to patents involving the 13C urea breath test technologies, and all of the their products are approved by the FDA.

For more information about Meretek Diagnostics, Inc. and the company's products, including prescribing information, warnings and limitations, visit the Meretek Web site at http://www.meretek.com.

Meretek Diagnostics
http://www.meretek.com