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Patients suspected of ventilator-associated lower respiratory tract infections (VA-LRTIs) commonly receive broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy unnecessarily. We tested whether exhaled breath analysis can discriminate between patients suspected of VA-LRTI with confirmed infection, from patients with negative cultures. Breath from 108 patients suspected of VA-LRTI was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The breath test had a sensitivity of 98% at a specificity of 49%, confirmed with a second analytical method. The breath test had a negative predictive value of 96% and excluded pneumonia in half of the patients with negative cultures. Trial registration number: UKCRN ID number 19086, registered May 2015.

Original publication

DOI

10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-217362

Type

Journal

Thorax

Publication Date

01/2022

Volume

77

Pages

79 - 81

Addresses

Intensive Care, Amsterdam UMC Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Keywords

BreathDx Consortium, Humans, Respiratory Tract Infections, Breath Tests, Diagnostic Tests, Routine, Ventilators, Mechanical, Exhalation, Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated