Clinical utility of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in the management of asthma and COPD

Steve W Turner* (Corresponding Author), Anne B. Chang, Ian A. Yang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
7 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) values can be easily measured using portable analysers and is a surrogate marker of airway eosinophilia. FENO may be useful in diagnosing and monitoring conditions characterised by airway eosinophilia, i.e. asthma and possibly COPD. Many factors other than asthma and COPD affect FENO, especially atopy which is associated with elevated FENO. One (from the National Institute of Care and Health Excellence, NICE) guideline recommends that FENO should be used as part of the diagnostic pathway for asthma diagnosis in adults and children aged over 5 years. The role of FENO in monitoring asthma is much less clear, and most guidelines do not recommend its use outside of specialist asthma clinics. Currently FENO is not recommended for diagnosis or monitoring of COPD. Although FENO is starting to find a place in the management of asthma in children and adults, considerably more research is required before the potential of FENO as an objective measurement in asthma and COPD can be realised.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)306-316
Number of pages11
JournalBreathe
Volume15
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2019

Bibliographical note

Footnotes
Conflict of interest: S.W. Turner has received apparatus at no cost from Circassia (and formerly Aerocrine) for measuring nitric oxide in three research studies.

Conflict of interest: A.B. Chang reports grants from National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia related to the submitted work (multiple grants relating to cough, bronchiectasis and PBB). Other grants and interests from GSK (member of a data monitoring committee relating to an unlicensed vaccine), Up to Date (author of sections on paediatric cough) and BMJ Evidence Centre (author of two chapters on paediatric asthma with monies received (to Institution)) are outside the submitted work.

Conflict of interest: I.A. Yang has nothing to disclose.

Copyright ©ERS 2019

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