Feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of an electronic nose in children with asthma and cystic fibrosis

The measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath is a promising tool for
diagnosing and monitoring various lung diseases in children. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry
(GC-MS) analysis is a frequently used standard technique for VOCs analysis. However, as GC-MS is an
expensive and time-consuming technique, hand-held devices or electronic noses have been developed.
Recently, the Aeonose was introduced as an easy-to-use hand-held eNose capable of point-of-care
testing. Although first results using this eNose in adults are promising, studies in children are
lacking. We therefore performed a cross-sectional study in 55 children and adolescents ≥6 years of
age (20 children with moderate to severe asthma, 13 children with CF, and 22 healthy controls). The
feasibility of the Aeonose was high (>98% successful measurements). The diagnostic accuracy was high
for discriminating asthma from CF (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve [AUC] 0.90
[95...

Source: Journal of Breath Research - May 6, 2019 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Michiel A G E Bannier, Kim D G van de Kant, Quirijn J öbsis and Edward Dompeling Source Type: research