Reliability of a new hand-held device for the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide

Given the importance of airway inflammation in asthma, there has been an effort to incorporate inflammatory markers into its management. Measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a noninvasive marker of airway inflammation; however, the use of the available FeNO analyzer is limited by several factors including its cost and lack of transportability. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a new hand-held FeNO measuring device (NIOX MINO) to the current clinical standard - the chemiluminescence FeNO analyzer (NIOX).

Subjects 6 years and older presenting to an allergy and asthma clinic underwent FeNO evaluation by NIOX and each of three NIOX MINOs. The mean of two acceptable measurements from the NIOX and the first approved measurement from each NIOX MINO were used for analysis.

One hundred ten patients aged 6-86 years completed the study. Intrasubject FeNO levels obtained by each of the three NIOX MINOs revealed no significant difference between the measurements (P = 0.59). There was a very strong correlation between FeNO measurements by NIOX and by NIOX MINO (r = 0.98, P < 0.0001). The mean intrasubject FeNO difference between NIOX and NIOX MINO was -0.5 p.p.b. which was not statistically significantly different from zero (P = 0.21).

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements by the NIOX MINO showed a strong correlation and a high degree of agreement with the current standard stationary device. The NIOX MINO may be reliably used in clinical practice.