A portable Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) multicomponent point-of-care analyzer was tested for the diagnosis of methanol intoxications. Breath analysis with FT-IR was fast and easy, and no sample preparation was needed. The analyzer was adequately sensitive and accurate in detecting and quantitating clinically relevant amounts of ethanol and methanol in the breath of seriously ill patients. FT-IR spectrometry was also suitable for nearly on-line monitoring of the exhaled ethanol and methanol during hemodialysis. The breath analysis results correlated well with blood samples. The FT-IR method used also has a traceable calibration to physical properties of the analyte, and the measured spectra can be saved for later analysis.
Fast and reliable diagnostic methods are needed for detection or exclusion of industrial solvents as a cause of intoxication. Analyzing human breath reveals the presence of any volatile substance. A portable Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) multicomponent point-of-care analyzer was developed for exhaled breath. The analyzer proved to be accurate and precise in laboratory tests for simultaneous measurement of methanol and ethanol in water. Ethanol, in addition to normal contents of breath, was simultaneously analyzed in human experiments, and the results correlated well with blood samples. FT-IR method has a traceable calibration to physical properties of the analyte. The measured spectra can also be saved and analyzed later. Breath analysis with FT-IR is fast and easy, and no preparation of the sample is needed.
Interest in noninvasive methods for disease diagnosis is increasing. In this study, we tested the utility and potential of a portable Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) multicomponent analyzer in the emergency rooms (ERs) of two Finnish hospitals. Major detected breath volatiles in this population were ethanol, carbon monoxide, methane, and acetone, in addition to carbon dioxide and water. The analysis of breath revealed an ethanol concentration of over 25 ppm (0.1 g/L in blood) in 56 out of 589 patients (9.5%). During nightshifts the proportion was 30% for all and 63% for trauma patients. Five-hundred eighty-four patients had measurable carbon monoxide in their breath. A breath carbon monoxide of over 4 ppm (4.4 micro g/L) differentiated smokers from nonsmokers. Methane over 2 ppm (1.3 micro g/L) was detected in the breath of 32% of the participants. Methane concentration was higher among aged patients. Two-hundred ninety-eight participants had detectable acetone in their breath. Elevated exhaled acetone [10-76 ppm (23-75 micro g/L)] was detected in 10 patients. The FT-IR method proved functional in the ER setting. A major advantage over blood sampling was fast and easy analysis performed by nonlaboratory personnel.
The study aim was to evaluate the feasibility of a Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) analyzer for out-of-laboratory use by screening the exhalations of inebriated individuals, and to determine analysis quality using common breath components and solvents. Each of the 35 inebriated participants gave an acceptable sample. Because of the metabolism of 2-propanol, the subjects exhaled high concentrations of acetone in addition to ethanol. Other volatile ingredients of technical ethanol products (methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and 2-propanol) were also detected. The lower limits of quantification for the analyzed components ranged from 1.7 to 12 microg/L in simulated breath samples. The bias was +/-2% for ethanol and -11% for methanol. Within-day and between-day coefficients of variation were <1% for ethanol and <4% for methanol. The bias of ethanol and methanol analyses due to coexisting solvents ranged from -0.8 to +2.2% and from -5.6 to +2.9%, respectively. The FT-IR method proved suitable for use outside the laboratory and fulfilled the quality criteria for analysis of solvents in breath.
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