d-Xylose Tolerance Test

General

Synonym/Acronym:
N/A

Rationale
To assist in the differential diagnosis of small intestine malabsorption syndromes such as celiac, tropical sprue, and Crohn disease.

Patient Preparation
Instruct the patient to fast for at least 12 hr before the test. In addition, the patient should refrain from eating foods containing high amounts of pentose sugars, such as fruits, jams, jellies, and pastries, for 24 hr before the test (d-xylose is a pentose sugar). Some medications (e.g., acetylsalicylic acid, atropine, indomethacin, metformin, nalidixic acid, and neomycin) interfere with the test and should be withheld, by medical direction, for 24 hr before testing. Activity should be restricted for the duration of the test. Protocols may vary among facilities. The test should be started between 0600 and 0800, if possible. As appropriate, provide the required urine collection container and specimen collection instructions.

Normal Findings
Method: Spectrophotometry.

Dose GivenConventional UnitsSI Units (Conventional Units × 0.0666)
PlasmaPlasma
Infant dose 0.5 g/kg (max. 25 g)Greater than 15 mg/dL after 2 hrGreater than 1 mmol/L
Pediatric dose 0.5 g/kg (max. 25 g)Greater than 20 mg/dL after 2 hrGreater than 1.3 mmol/L
Adult dose
  25 gGreater than 25 mg/dL after 2 hrGreater than 1.7 mmol/L
  5 g (given if patient is known or expected to have severe symptoms)Greater than 20 mg/dL after 2 hrGreater than 1.3 mmol/L
Urine
ChildrenGreater than 16%–40% of dose in 5-hr urine sample
AdultsGreater than 16% or greater than 4 g of dose in 5-hr urine sample
Older adults (65 yr and older)Greater than 14% or greater than 3.5 g of dose in 5-hr urine sample

Critical Findings and Potential Interventions
N/A

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.