Van Oort P.M.P.Mahidol University2023-06-202023-06-202022-01-01Thorax Vol.77 No.1 (2022) , 79-8100406376https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/87446Patients suspected of ventilator-associated lower respiratory tract infections (VA-LRTIs) commonly receive broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy unnecessarily. We tested whether exhaled breath analysis can discriminate between patients suspected of VA-LRTI with confirmed infection, from patients with negative cultures. Breath from 108 patients suspected of VA-LRTI was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The breath test had a sensitivity of 98% at a specificity of 49%, confirmed with a second analytical method. The breath test had a negative predictive value of 96% and excluded pneumonia in half of the patients with negative cultures. Trial registration number: UKCRN ID number 19086, registered May 2015.MedicineArticleSCOPUS10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-2173622-s2.0-851076835321468329634088787