Breath Testing Done Right

A practical playbook for GI practices

Turn hydrogen and methane breath testing from a workflow headache into a reliable diagnostic pathway for SIBO, IMO, and carbohydrate malabsorption.

Written for

  • GI groups and hospital-affiliated practices treating high volumes of functional GI patients
  • Gastroenterologists and APPs who want curves they can trust and clear answers
  • Service line and practice leaders who need breath testing to work clinically, operationally, and economically
CLIA-certified lab Results within 1 business day Max $299 out-of-pocket
Breath Testing Done Right eBook cover

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Free · 45 pages · PDF

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The problem

When breath testing doesn't work the way it should

Most GI practices don't lack access to breath testing. They lack a program that works.

You've probably seen at least one of these:

  • 01Kits that go out but never come back
  • 02Curves that feel unstable or unreliable
  • 03Prep and protocol that vary by provider or site
  • 04Staff pulled into managing 2–3 hour in-office tests
  • 05Reports that arrive late, with no clear next step for the visit

The result: breath testing becomes a side project instead of a dependable diagnostic pathway for IBS-like symptoms, SIBO/IMO, and carbohydrate malabsorption. This guide walks through what breath testing done right looks like when you treat it as a program, not just a kit.

What's inside

A four-domain blueprint for the full breath-testing pathway

Each domain builds on the one before it. Clinical integrity makes a curve worth reading. Protocol integrity makes it repeatable. Operational performance gets the test back. Economic yield decides whether the program holds up.

Domain one

Clinical integrity

Make sure every curve is something you can act on.

  • Why CO₂ correction and sample stability matter
  • How test sensitivity and specificity affect your confidence
  • How to align breath testing with major GI guidelines
Domain two

Protocol integrity

Standardize how tests are run, not just how they're ordered.

  • Patient prep that fits real-world workflows
  • Substrate choice and timing that reduce false noise
  • Common pitfalls that quietly erode protocol quality
Domain three

Operational performance

Stop losing tests, and time, between the order and the report.

  • The 7-step HMBT pathway from order to act
  • Registration as a control point instead of a paperwork chore
  • How to improve your test return ratio without adding staff
Domain four

Economic yield

Make every ordered test count.

  • The real cost of unreturned or uninterpretable tests
  • How to think about completion, leakage, and reimbursement
  • Turning breath testing into a sustainable program, not a loss leader

Who this helps

Built for GI, useful across the functional GI community

Integrative and functional clinics

Practices sending out high volumes of GI testing that need protocols to hold up across providers.

Naturopathic doctors and dietitians

Clinicians who want guideline-aligned breath testing without trading down on science.

Any clinician standardizing a pathway

Anyone who wants breath testing to be a clear, repeatable part of their diagnostic playbook.

Why CDI wrote this guide

We see what separates programs that work from programs that stall

Commonwealth Diagnostics International is a CLIA-certified functional GI diagnostics lab focused on hydrogen and methane breath testing. Whether or not you work with CDI today, these are the principles we believe any high-performing breath-testing program should follow.

This playbook is built from

  • Tens of thousands of breath tests processed annually, with CO₂ correction and results delivered within 1 business day of sample receipt.
  • Real-world migrations helping GI groups move from room-blocking, in-office testing to scalable at-home programs.
  • A commitment to predictable patient cost, with a max $299 out-of-pocket cap on breath tests.

Questions

Before you download

Is this eBook only for current CDI clients?
No. It's written for any GI practice or clinician who wants breath testing to work reliably, regardless of which lab you use today.
Does the guide talk about specific products?
The focus is on how to design a clinically sound, operationally workable program. We reference CDI's approach as one example, but the principles apply broadly.
How long does it take to read?
Most readers can skim the key sections in under 30 minutes and return to specific chapters as needed.

Get the playbook your team can actually use

Forty-five pages on clinical integrity, protocol, operations, and economic yield, written for practices that want breath testing to hold up.

Get the eBook