Advancing Asthma Management with Exhaled Nitric Oxide  

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is an established marker of airway inflammation that can be safely and accurately measured in people with asthma. Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the airways caused by allergens and other triggers. Airway inflammation precedes symptoms. Evidence of inflammation is present at the onset of symptoms in newly diagnosed patients with asthma. Nitric oxide (NO), a free radical, is produced by the body as part of the inflammatory response and can be detected as exhaled nitric oxide in expired human breath. An elevated eNO level is suggestive of an inadequate anti-inflammatory regimen, which may be due to poor compliance or under-medication. The eNO test is simple to administer compared to some of the conventional lung function testing methods or breath analyses. The patient has to be seated and is required to exhale steadily for 11 seconds after taking in a deep breath. The Insight eNO System was developed to provide a practical and accurate means for measuring eNO levels via a simple breath test. Designed for routine use in physician offices and clinics, the Insight system enables physicians to monitor and manage asthma on a regular basis. The system includes a small desktop monitor with a large color display. It employs an eNO sensor to measure nitric oxide from the breath sample.

Source: http://www.apieron.com/asthma-information-downloads/Exhaled-Nitric-Oxide-Resource-Kit.pdf