Electronic nose prediction of a clinical pneumonia score: biosensors and microbes.
BACKGROUND
The authors performed a prospective study to determine whether breath test analysis using an electronic nose correlates with a clinical pneumonia score.


METHODS
Exhaled gas was sampled from the expiratory limb of the ventilator in mechanically ventilated surgical intensive care patients and assayed with the electronic nose. Components of a clinical pneumonia score were recorded concurrently.


RESULTS
The score predicted by the electronic nose showed good correlation with the actual pneumonia score (r = 0.81). Bland Altman analysis showed a mean bias of 0.0 (limits +/- 2.6).


CONCLUSIONS
The electronic nose is a new biosensor technology that correlates with a clinical pneumonia score.
Hanson
C William
CW
Department of Anesthesia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. hansonb@uphs.upenn.edu
Thaler
Erica R
ER
D000368:Aged; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*