TY - JOUR T1 - Real-time analysis of exhaled volatile organic compounds (eVOC) in wheezy preschool children JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA3359 VL - 48 IS - suppl 60 SP - PA3359 AU - Misty Makinde AU - Karl A. Holden AU - Sarina Hussain AU - Timothy Coats AU - Erol Gaillard Y1 - 2016/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA3359.abstract N2 - Introduction: Investigating airway inflammation and pathology in wheezy preschool children is challenging from both a technical and ethical standpoint. Novel non-invasive tests need to be identified and validated. Real-time analysis of eVOC may be useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of these children.Aims: To evaluate eVOC patterns in wheezy preschool children, to assess reproducibility and compare eVOC patterns with those obtained from healthy adults.Methods: Children breathed room air tidally via a facemask for 80 secs and eVOC were analysed instantly by Proton-Transfer-Reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled to Loccioni breath collection apparatus. Repeat samples were obtained 15 min after the initial sample. Using a MATLAB programme we identified mass channels within each breath sample that changed with breathing.Results: 9 children (14– 74 months) participated, of which 6 were able to produce analysable results. A total of 55 of 249 channels varied with the breathing cycle. 5 mass channels were common to all analysable preschool wheeze samples with 11 mass channels found in 4 of the breath samples. The adult samples showed similar patterns, with 6 out of 9 adult samples containing the same 5 channels. There were 11 unique channels within the children's samples in comparison to the adult channels.Currently one sample has been repeated, with 91% commonality of channels.Conclusion: eVOC measurements in preschool children are feasible, well tolerated and appear reproducible, with channels not significantly different in adults and children. Further work is required to confirm repeatability and to compare patterns in children with preschool wheeze with that of healthy controls. ER -