Exhaled Carbon Monoxide Levels: As a Marker of Clinical Severity and Control of Asthma

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the role of exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the management of patients with mild and moderate persistent bronchial asthma. Spirometry, exhaled CO measurements and symptom scoring was done before and after four weeks of treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. Exhaled CO levels were significantly elevated in patients of mild as well as moderate persistent asthma as compared to controls but the levels did not correlate with the disease severity. After four weeks of treatment, there was a decrease in exhaled CO levels in both the groups but the decrease was not found to be statistically significant. Therefore, clinically exhaled CO level is not a useful marker in bronchial asthma.

Keywords:

• exhaled carbon monoxide
• bronchial asthma
• breath CO levels
• markers of airway inflammation