UK scientists say they have found a way of diagnosing different types of bowel disease by testing the smells given off by patients’ stools. In a study of 182 stool samples from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, the results were 76% accurate. The [b]University of the West of England[/b] study used a testing system they built combining a gas chromatograph and a metal oxide sensor to recognise patterns specific to known diseases. These patterns are created by volatile organic compounds emitted from stool samples, which are a good indicator of the conditions in the patient's gastrointestinal tract.
[link url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26769388] Full BBC News report[/link]
[link url=http://iopscience.iop.org/1752-7163/8/2/026001/article] Journal of Breath Research abstract[/link]