Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in exhaled breath is proposed as a non-invasive marker of airway inflammation.

Exhaled breath for VOC analysis is sampled in the ABC children at every planned visit and at every episode of acute lower respiratory symptoms.

Breath samples are collected in impearmeable 750 ml bags of chemically inert material, connected to a facial mask covering the mouth and nose by a double one-way-valve (See Figure 1).

Breath samples are analyzed by an electronic nose (E-nose) and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry technique (GC-MS).

Figure 1. Breath sampling set.