Non-invasive diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

Could a breath help detect a blood clot in the lungs?​

A blood clot in the lungs can be difficult to detect quickly because the symptoms often resemble those of other heart and lung conditions. Researchers are therefore working to develop a test that uses exhaled breath to detect an acute pulmonary embolism before the patient reaches hospital.

The aim is to make the diagnosis faster, so that the appropriate treatment can be initiated as early as possible.

​Clinical need​

Pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot in the pulmonary circulation, is an often overlooked but life-threatening condition. Approximately 4,000 cases are recorded each year in Denmark, with additional cases going undetected or unrecorded. Pulmonary embolism also results in a significant disease burden each year, including costs associated with hospitalisation.

One of the key challenges is that, for some patients, the first symptom is sudden death, while in others the condition is asymptomatic. In addition, non-specific symptoms often resemble those of other cardiovascular and/or pulmonary conditions. Current diagnostic methods, such as blood tests, ECG and CT scans, often produce non-specific findings that overlap with other cardiovascular conditions, which can delay the correct diagnosis and treatment.

Solution

The aim of this project is to develop a specific and rapid test that can be used in prehospital care and uses exhaled breath to diagnose acute pulmonary embolism. The solution could potentially reduce the time to diagnosis and initiation of appropriate intensive treatment, thereby saving lives and reducing the consequences of pulmonary embolism.

Idea originators​

Department of Haematology, Aalborg University Hospital; Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University; and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University.