Ventilator-associated pneumonia diagnosis: electrochemical sensors for rapid and sensitive detection of pyocyanin

Abstract

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a severe condition in critically ill patients that requires timely diagnosis to improve patient outcomes. In this study, we developed an electrochemical sensor for pyocyanin detection using a TiO2-NiO-rGO catalyst and found that it could detect the concentration of pyocyanin required for mimicking the throat trachea’s environment (LOD: 0.2 μg/mL). We also investigated using DNA aptamer for detecting pyocyanin, a biomarker of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common causative agent of VAP. Our findings suggest that the TiO2-NiO-rGO catalyst without aptamer could provide a rapid and cost-effective diagnostic tool for VAP, and the electrochemical sensor has the potential to be made disposable for in vivo applications. Using the TiO2-NiO-rGO catalyst offers synergistic effects that enhance the detection process’s overall electrochemical performance, sensitivity, and selectivity. This work’s results demonstrate that electrochemical detection of pyocyanin using a TiO2-NiO-rGO catalyst holds great potential for various applications, such as clinical diagnostics and drug discovery. Further research and optimization of the catalyst composition, morphology, and surface modifications can contribute to advancing this pyocyanin electrochemical detection approach.