[Modern breath analysis]

Abstract

Background: Analysis of exhaled air is a risk-free option for bedside diagnostics. Modern breath analysis can detect very low concentrations of volatile components. Current research focuses on drug monitoring and diagnosis of various diseases.

Objectives: Presentation and discussion of current breath research relevant to intensive care medicine.

Materials and methods: The literature in PubMed was searched using the following terms: "breath analysis", "volatile organic compounds", "critically ill" combined with "drug monitoring", "propofol", "heart failure", "pneumonia", "ARDS", "renal failure", "liver failure", "sepsis" or "hemorrhage".

Results: Intravenously administered propofol can now be measured reliably in exhaled air. Functional impairments of the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver show characteristic influences on the exhaled air, which could serve as a new diagnostic tool in the future. Animal experiments already show promising results to detect sepsis, hemorrhage and ventilator-induced lung injury.

Conclusions: In the future, modern breath analysis could enable non-invasive drug monitoring and diagnostics of medical conditions relevant to intensive care medicine.

Keywords: Breath analysis; Drug monitoring; Exhaled air analysis; Intensive care; Volatile biomarkers.