title: A novel method for rapidly diagnosing the causes of diarrhoea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The microbiological diagnosis of infectious diarrhoea may take several days using conventional techniques. In order to determine whether flatus can be used to make a rapid diagnosis, the volatile organic compounds associated with diarrhoea were analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stool samples were collected from 35 patients with infectious diarrhoea and from six healthy controls. Gaseous compounds were extracted from a headspace using solid phase microextraction and analysed using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Characteristic patterns of volatile gases were found for the main causes of infectious diarrhoea in hospitals. Furan species without indoles indicated Clostridium difficile, ethyl dodecanoate indicated rotavirus, ammonia without ethyl dodecanoate suggested other enteric viruses, and the absence of hydrocarbons and terpenes indicated Campylobacter infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results could be the basis of rapid near patient diagnosis of infectious diarrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK. c.s.j.probert@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: C S J
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Probert
authors.forename: P R H
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ratcliffe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005414:Flatulence / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers