Breath ammonia analysis: Clinical application and measurement

Hibbard, Troy; Killard, Anthony

Abstract

This review covers in detail the complexity of human breath, how the body metabolizes ammonia, clinical conditions which are directly related to the regulation of ammonia concentration, and analysis of current techniques that are capable of detecting breath ammonia. Focusing on these areas provides the information needed to develop a breath ammonia sensor for monitoring dysfunction of the human body. Human breath has been broken down into its key components which are necessary for proper understanding of what to look for when attempting to isolate volatile organic compounds. A pathway has been shown which explains the origin of ammonia in the body and how it is processed within a healthy system. Following this, the hazards of several dysfunctions related to the broken ammonia pathway have been discussed. It is essential that technicians have knowledge of these inner workings of the human body along with current technology. Thus, the advantages and disadvantages of techniques from chemical ionization, gas chromatography, laser spectroscopy, and chemical sensing have been discussed. © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 15, 2016
• Journal: Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry
• Print ISSN: 1040-8347
• Electronic ISSN: 1547-6510
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 21-35
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408347.2011.521729
• Keywords: breath ammonia analysis, ammonia metabolism, clinical applications, analytical techniques
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/968963
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408347.2011.521729
• Contract Date: Nov 15, 2016