At present, there are different diagnostic tests to identify the presence of H. pylori. The urea breath test presents an adequate sensitivity and specificity profile. There is consensus among most clinical practice guidelines found about the use of non-invasive tests for low-risk patients with dyspepsia and without alarming signs. They also agree that the urea breath test, the stool antigen test and serology test might be an equivalent initial diagnostic tool, although the serology test should not be used for post-treatment control.
The recommendation to use one test and not the other may be made only after performing an economic evaluation considering the different therapy schemes and their costs.