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Publications (2)1.68 Total impact

  • Article: Breath ammonia and trimethylamine allow real-time monitoring of haemodialysis efficacy.
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    ABSTRACT: Non-invasive monitoring of breath ammonia and trimethylamine using Selected-ion-flow-tube mass spectroscopy (SIFT-MS) could provide a real-time alternative to current invasive techniques. Breath ammonia and trimethylamine were monitored by SIFT-MS before, during and after haemodialysis in 20 patients. In 15 patients (41 sessions), breath was collected hourly into Tedlar bags and analysed immediately (group A). During multiple dialyses over 8 days, five patients breathed directly into the SIFT-MS analyser every 30 min (group B). Pre- and post-dialysis direct breath concentrations were compared with urea reduction, Kt/V and creatinine concentrations. Dialysis decreased breath ammonia, but a transient increase occurred mid treatment in some patients. Trimethylamine decreased more rapidly than reported previously. Pre-dialysis breath ammonia correlated with pre-dialysis urea in group B (r(2) = 0.71) and with change in urea (group A, r(2) = 0.24; group B, r(2) = 0.74). In group B, ammonia correlated with change in creatinine (r(2) = 0.35), weight (r(2) = 0.52) and Kt/V (r(2) = 0.30). The ammonia reduction ratio correlated with the urea reduction ratio (URR) (r(2) = 0.42) and Kt/V (r(2) = 0.38). Pre-dialysis trimethylamine correlated with Kt/V (r(2) = 0.21), and the trimethylamine reduction ratio with URR (r(2) = 0.49) and Kt/V (r(2) = 0.36). Real-time breath analysis revealed previously unmeasurable differences in clearance kinetics of ammonia and trimethylamine. Breath ammonia is potentially useful in assessment of dialysis efficacy.
    Physiological Measurement 01/2011; 32(1):115-30. · 1.68 Impact Factor
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    Article: Breath Ammonia Reduction Ratio (ARR) Measures Dialysis Efficacy
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    ABSTRACT: Contemporary evidence supports the centuries old notion that expired breath and the headspaces above body fluids and products can serve as biomarkers of organ function. Clinical responsiveness to alterations in clinical status or therapy is dependent upon timely, accurate, relevant physiological data. Current measures of urea and creatinine to assess renal urea reduction are invasive and cannot be repeated frequently or reported quickly enough to define individual response to treatment in real time. In contrast, breath analysis is minimally invasive and can provide real time information about low molecular weight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ammonia1,2.