ArticleERJ open research2021
Diagnosis of COVID-19 by exhaled breath analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Article in ERJ open research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 103 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exhaled breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection methods: GC-MS versus eNose in COPD diagnosis-a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2025Pooled it
- A comprehensive meta-analysis and systematic review of breath analysis in detection of COVID-19 through Volatile organic compounds.Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease · 2024Pooled it
- Systematic review with meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy for COVID-19 by mass spectrometry.Metabolism: clinical and experimental · 2022Pooled it
- Evaluating the VOCORDER device for early disease detection through breath analysis: study protocol for a two-phase clinical study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Machine learning-enabled diagnosis of viral respiratory infections from exhaled volatile organic compound analysis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2026Article
- Trained Scent Dog Detection and GC-MS Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds from Murine Coronavirus-Infected Cell Cultures.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Opportunities and Challenges in Gas Sensor Technologies for Accurate Detection of COVID-19.Biosensors · 2025Review
- Targeted high-resolution sensing of volatile organic compounds by covalent nanopore detection.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Harnessing Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Breath-Based Diagnostics.Analytical chemistry · 2025Article
- A Review on Long COVID Screening: Challenges and Perspectives Focusing on Exhaled Breath Gas Sensing.ACS sensors · 2025Review
- Analysis of the Urine Volatilome of COVID-19 Patients and the Possible Metabolic Alterations Produced by the Disease.Metabolites · 2024Article
- A Comprehensive Review of Biomarker Sensors for a Breathalyzer Platform.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- A Targeted LC-MRMMolecular & cellular proteomics : MCP · 2024Article
- Detection of COVID-19 by quantitative analysis of carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- The science behind the nose: correlating volatile organic compound characterisation with canine biodetection of COVID-19.ERJ open research · 2024Article
- Breath metabolomics for diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome.Critical care (London, England) · 2024Observational
- Effects of Contagious Respiratory Pathogens on Breath Biomarkers.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Volatilomes of human infection.Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2024Review
- Rapid point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in exhaled breath using ion mobility spectrometry: a pilot study.European journal of medical research · 2023Article
- Enhanced real-time mass spectrometry breath analysis for the diagnosis of COVID-19.ERJ open research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed over two and a half million lives worldwide so far. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is perceived to be seasonally recurrent, and a rapid noninvasive biomarker to accurately diagnose patients early on in their disease course will be necessary to meet the operational demands for COVID-19 control in the coming years.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the role of exhaled breath volatile biomarkers in identifying patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection, based on their underlying PCR status and clinical probability.
methodsA prospective, real-world, observational study was carried out, recruiting adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Breath samples were collected using a standard breath collection bag, modified with appropriate filters to comply with local infection control recommendations, and samples were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS).
results81 patients were recruited between April 29 and July 10, 2020, of whom 52 out of 81 (64%) tested positive for COVID-19 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A regression analysis identified a set of seven exhaled breath features (benzaldehyde, 1-propanol, 3,6-methylundecane, camphene, beta-cubebene, iodobenzene and an unidentified compound) that separated PCR-positive patients with an area under the curve (AUC): 0.836, sensitivity: 68%, specificity: 85%.
conclusionsGC-MS-detected exhaled breath biomarkers were able to identify PCR-positive COVID-19 patients. External replication of these compounds is warranted to validate these results.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.