From fast identification to resistance testing: Volatile compound profiling as a novel diagnostic tool for detection of antibiotic susceptibility

Abstract Widespread use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance in many pathogenic bacteria. If effective methods of alleviating this crisis are not applied, a return to high mortality and morbidity of the pre-antibiotic era could occur. A vital step is the fast and reliable identification of bacteria, leading to appropriate prescription of antimicrobial treatment. In this review, the potential of volatile compound (VC) analysis for the development of diagnostic devices for antibiotic resistance testing is presented. VC analyses have shown promise for the diagnosis of many diseases, including bacterial infections. Moreover, the role of VCs in the induction of resistance, and in microbial communication is described. Examples of recent applications of VC detection for the differentiation of sensitive and resistant bacterial strains are reported. The review outlines existing challenges which must be overcome before VC profiling becomes a viable method for the rapid detection of antibiotic resistance.