Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule produced by the lungs which is measured in exhaled breath. In 1998, the discovery of NO lead to a Nobel prize and is now used in FeNO testing.
Fractional Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive and simple way to measure airway inflammation in patients with diseases such as Asthma. It is complimentary tool to spirometry and other established methods of assessing respiratory diseases.
FeNO testing
FeNO testing is an easy and fast test to help with asthma diagnosis and management. Often, asthma is misdiagnosed because lung function testing does not provide enough information to make a decision. With a high FeNO level, an accurate asthma diagnosis is up to seven times more likely.
Routinely measuring FeNO in patients with asthma also leads to better disease management. A high FeNO level indicates a higher risk of exacerbation. Using a FeNO test as a benchmark can help reduce exacerbations by up to 50%.
In addition, FeNO testing can give you information on patients that benefit from the use of corticosteroids or biologic medications. Routinely testing FeNO can also help identify patients that are not adhering to inhaler use or are not using it properly.
The American Thoracic Society
Recently, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) released a clinical guideline recommending FeNO-based care for asthma patients. The guideline concluded that FeNO should be used in addition to the standard methods of care. In addition to the clinical benefits, the ATS also concluded that FeNO-based care is a cost-effective measurement that could even reduce costs by identifying patients with severe asthma that might benefit from biologic therapies.
The FeNO test
The FeNO test is a convenient test performed by having the patient inhale and exhale comfortably. It takes less than 2 minutes, and a single value is instantly provided. The provider will then check this value with the international cut-off points to decide next treatment steps.
Learn More
Morgan Scientific is proud to partner with Circassia to provide the NIOX VERO® for FeNO testing. The NIOX VERO® is the gold standard FeNO device that accurately assesses airway inflammation at the point-of-care. To learn more please contact Morgan Scientific at sales@morgansci.com.