Breath samples are taken up by the ventilator and sent along a sample line to the mass spectrometer
David Smith from Keele University and colleagues have developed a way of continuously analysing the breath of unconscious patients undergoing surgery using a selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometer (SIFT-MS), which enables measurements to be taken and results to be viewed in the operating theatre.
“Specific breath gases can be monitored that can indicate to the surgeon and anaesthetist the status of the patient, thus allowing more informed decision making and improve the outcome of the surgical procedure,” says Smith.
Read Holly Sheahan’s news story in Chemistry World, and access the communication for free below:
Communication: On-line, real time monitoring of exhaled trace gases by SIFT-MS in the perioperative setting: a feasibility study
Piers R. Boshier, Julia R. Cushnir, Vikash Mistry, Alison Knaggs, Patrik Španěl, David Smith and George B. Hanna
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15356K
