A new development in wound infection diagnosis: the use of electronic nose for differential detection of volatile organic compounds in wounds

Background: Wounds cause skin permeability, so any microorganisms contaminating in and around the wound – typically bacteria or fungi – can cause wound infection due to the imbalance in pathogen virulence and the host's immune response. Infectious wounds are an ever-growing global pandemic, with high mortality rates. Wound infection if not adequately managed causes scarring and cellulitis, and if it continues with secondary complications, it can cause loss of limb or life. For these reasons, timely diagnosis of wound infection is essential for all physicians involved in wound care. So, the present study reviewed the use of an electronic noses for the detection of volatile organic compounds in skin wounds to rapid diagnosis of infection wounds. Method: Data were recognized by searches of PubMed, and Scopus and used from articles published in English between ۲۰۱۸ and ۲۰۲۲ using the search terms "electronic nose", " wound infection diagnosis", and "volatile organic compounds".Result: The general way to diagnose wound infection is based on clinical symptoms such as pain, erythema, fever, etc. However, the diagnosis is prone to error and requires additional methods such as culture, which itself is an invasive method and unconventional, so, it is not considered a reliable and sufficient way. One of the new ways to detect infection wounds is the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They are a diverse group of carbon-based molecules produced and released by humans and microorganisms. The fungi and bacteria commonly associated with chronic wounds, release VOCs. The diagnosis of these VOCs can allow the identification of bacterial and/or fungal microorganisms. Although various chemical sensors are capable of detecting VOCs, the use of medical electronic noses (eNose) can be effective in differentiating the types of infectious agents. eNose with ۳۱ sensors, can detect wound infection through the analysis of the metabolic compounds of bacteria and fungi. But regrettably, the presence of obstacles such as the low concentration of volatile substances, the presence of interfering substances in the environment, and the decrease in the accuracy of eNose in clinical samples, prevent the proper use of this technology.Conclusion: Due to the tendency to use less invasive and safer methods, eNose as a cost-effective method for differential diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious wounds may be beneficial. However, the use of this method requires extensive

کلیدواژه ها:

wound infection diagnosis ، volatile organic compounds ، medical electronic noses