The Department of Chest Medicine and Environmental Pollution Research Centre at K.E.M. Hospital has installed a Breath Condensate Measurement System for monitoring lung inflammation in a non-invasive way. The equipment is donated by Gas Authority Of India (GAIL), which allocated a sum of Rs 20 lakhs to the hospital to combat air pollution related diseases. The test will be available free of cost at K.E.M. hospital and Seth G.S. Medical College at Department of Chest Medicine and E.P.R.C. The Air Pollution Research and Diagnostic Centre (APRDC) at K.E.M is the first amongst the 22 such centres being sponsored by GAIL across the country.

Proshanto Banergee, chairman and managing director, GAIL (India) limited inaugurated the APRDC at K.E.M. hospital in the presence of Dr. Shirsagar, Dean, K.E.M hospital and other senior officials of K.E.M. and GAIL. Talking to Pharmabiz, he said, "Looking into the health hazards by the vehicular emission and the pollution by several other means, GAIL has come up to start air pollution related diseases diagnostic centres in 22 cities that would be self contained units with modern diagnostic amenities and medical personnel. To combat the pollution, GAIL is set to supply natural gas in these 22 cities including Delhi, Pune, Sholapur, Bangalore etc."

The Breath Condensate system is used for a biochemical lung function testing in the form of Breath condensate (ecoscreen). It will be used for the analysis of Hydrogen peroxide in exhaled breath, a marker of lung inflammation. This equipment is used to monitor inflammation in a non- invasive way.

With availability of ecoscreen and ecocheck machines, identification of airway impairments and analysis of inflammatory status of the lung is made possible. The test will offer an advantage in differentiating asthma and COPD. It will be useful in monitoring the progress of patients with interstitial lung progress of patients on steroid therapy for asthma. The test can also be used in monitoring inflammation following acute lung injury and inflammation following and ARDS due to any cause.

It has various research applications and can be used for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of drugs. It is a simple point of care intervention and can be carried out even in children. "This test is used to examine lung inflammation and other breathing problems if any, in the recovered patients of leptospirosis, malaria etc. APRDC would work as Research and development for the development of facilities for diagnosing suspended particles, which are known to cause various heart diseases. Though the test will be provided free of cost to the patients, the cost of each test is approximately Rs 2000 per test," said Dr. Amita Athavle, K.E.M.