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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Feb;102(2):115589.
doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115589. Epub 2021 Oct 30.

The potential of volatile organic compounds-based breath analysis for COVID-19 screening: a systematic review & meta-analysis

Anita Dominique Subali  1 , Lowilius Wiyono  2 , Muhammad Yusuf  3 , Muhammad Fathi Athallah Zaky  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The potential of volatile organic compounds-based breath analysis for COVID-19 screening: a systematic review & meta-analysis

Anita Dominique Subali et al. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

COVID-19 is a major problem with an increasing incidence and mortality. The discovery of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) based on breath analysis offers a reliable, rapid, and affordable screening method. This study examined VOC-based breath analysis diagnostic performance for SARS-COV-2 infection compared to RT-PCR. A systematic review was conducted in 8 scientific databases based on the PRISMA guideline. Original English studies evaluating human breaths for COVID-19 screening and mentioning sensitivity and specificity value compared to RT-PCR were included. Six studies were included with a total of 4093 samples from various settings. VOCs-based breath analysis had the cumulative sensitivity of 98.2% (97.5% CI 93.1%-99.6%) and specificity of 74.3% (97.5% CI 66.4%-80.9%). Subgroup analysis on chemical analysis (GC-MS) and pattern recognition (eNose) revealed higher sensitivity in the eNose group. VOC-based breath analysis shows high sensitivity and promising specificity for COVID-19 public screening.

Keywords: COVID-19, screening, diagnosis, volatile organic compound; breath analysis, breath-testing.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Literature search flowchart.
Fig 2
Fig. 2
QUADAS-2 assessment on the risk of bias and concerns of applicability.
Fig 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot of sensitivity and specificity of VOC-based breath analysis on included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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