Elevated Carbon Monoxide to Carbon Dioxide Ratio in the Exhaled Breath of Mice Treated With a Single Dose of Lipopolysaccharide

Carbon monoxide concentrations in exhaled breath of at least 2 strains of mice increase in response to single injections of endotoxin. The magnitude of increase was similar to what was observed with a bacteremia model. These findings with an experimental model provide a rationale for further studies of normalized CO concentrations in human breath as an informative biomarker for staging and monitoring of sepsis.