Electrochemical Detection of the Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Children

Abstract

Dosage of gaseous inflammatory markers is a promising method of evaluating various types of pediatric pathologies and not only. The fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) can be quantified by electrochemical detection using a portable analyzer that delivers fast, reproducible, and widely available results. The objectives of our study were to evaluate the accessibility of the pediatric dosing method and the utility of FeNO for the diagnosis of atopic pathology in hospitalized children. We conducted a retrospective study that included children aged over 6 years admitted to the Pediatric Department of the Municipal Hospital Filantropia in Craiova who were evaluated according to the type of training performed for the determination of FeNO and according to the diagnosis of admission. Results. Using a human model was more effective in obtaining a valid result compared to the use of the demo provided by the manufacturer, especially at younger age (p = 0.05 and respectively, 0.04 - Student t test). Among the various allergic pathologies studied, children with asthma were the ones who recorded the highest levels of nitric oxide, even when compared to the rest of atopic children (p = 0.01 - t test). Moreover, the proportion of cases with positive values was increased in asthmatic children compared to the rest of the type of allergic pathology, but these values were at the limit of statistical significance (p = 0.08 - chi square and Mid-P exact test). The conclusion of our study was that it is possible to improve compliance with FeNO assessment especially at younger age, and the utility of the method is still limited, especially in asthma cases.

Facile Green Approach for Developing Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide-Embedded Platinum Nanoparticles for Ultrasensitive Detection of Nitric Oxide

“…In recent years, various modified electrodes have been designed and fabricated for electrochemical detection of NO. − Lately, graphene-supported nanomaterials have been emerged as promising electrocatalysts for various applications including sensors. − Graphene is a 2D carbon sheet having a single-atom thickness, a high conductivity at room temperature (10 6 S cm –1 ), and a large theoretical surface area (2630 m 2 g –1 ), and can be utilized in a wide electrochemical window. Additionally, graphene sheets can be used as excellent host materials for growing nanomaterials .…”