NObreath® Case Study
Bedfont® Scientific Limited is an experienced med-tech company with over 48 years of expertise in designing and manufacturing medical breath analysis devices. Bedfont® works with a Medical Advisory Board, made up of key opinion leaders (KOLs) who are experts in their respective fields. The Medical Advisory Board plays a crucial role in the development of the products and services, ensuring the unique needs of clients are met.
This case study has been completed by Medical Advisory Board member, Carol Stonham MBE. Carol has been a registered nurse since 1986, transitioning from acute hospital settings to primary care by 1990. She serves at the Gloucestershire ICB and leads the Respiratory Clinical Programme Group, as well as co-leading the NHSE South West Respiratory Network.
The purpose of this case study is to highlight the importance of Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) testing in asthma care and why the NObreath® FeNO device is the preferred choice. The NObreath® carries out a non-invasive test which measures the level of nitric oxide on exhaled breath. High levels of nitric oxide can indicate airway inflammation, commonly found in allergic asthma. Asthma is a common respiratory condition that affects around 5.4 million people in the UK , sadly high numbers of people are dying each year from asthma and it is thought a high percentage of these deaths are avoidable. This highlights the importance of raising awareness of FeNO testing and how vital it can be in aiding in the diagnosis and management of asthma.
Carol says, “When looking into the different devices, the NObreath® suited what I was looking for. I wanted something that had a really good approval process as I wanted something that would be reliable. I wanted something that was going to be easy for the patients to use but also easy to teach the healthcare professionals to use. The cost always comes into it, this is something we always need to be careful about within the NHS. Finally, it needed to be something that would offer a sustainable service for a long time.”
Carol adds, “The thing I like about this device is the ease of use, I like that it is portable, so if you have this in a practice setting you can move it around from A to B simply. In my experience, I’ve had patients as young as 5 and as old as 95 able to do the test. It is an all-age easy-to-use device, it doesn’t take long either, you can do it really quickly in a consultation.”
Carol continues, “I remember one gentleman who came to me who had asthma for quite a long time, most of his life, but was a patient who used his inhalers as and when he fancied and had really poor inhaler technique, and as a result had really poor control of his asthma. He really felt that he was doing the right thing, so we went through the process of explaining what asthma is, how the inhalers work, explaining the inflammatory nature and then carried out a FeNO test to measure his FeNO levels and demonstrate this to him. He was really shocked that even though he thought his asthma was well controlled, it wasn’t. He was receptive to me helping him to use his inhalers with better technique and using them more regularly. He came back to see me 4 weeks later and he felt like a whole new man which was fantastic and his FeNO had dropped considerably. So, this is a really good intervention to get control of asthma symptoms.”
This case study highlights the impact of FeNO testing in asthma care, showcasing the benefits of using the NObreath® FeNO device. Filmed with Carol Stonham, the study emphasises the NObreath’s ease of use, making it suitable for both adults and children. It also demonstrates how FeNO testing can transform asthma management, offering more precise insights for personalised care. Ultimately this study illustrates why the NObreath® FeNO device is the product of choice for aiding asthma diagnosis and management.
To watch the full video of Carol’s Stonham MBE case study, click here.
For more information on the NObreath® FeNO device and how it is innovating asthma care, visit www.nobreathfeno.com
References
1. Asthma + Lung UK. [cited on 8/10/24] Available from https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/what-asthma