Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common pathogen of respiratory infections. The conventional diagnostic methods for Pseudomonas aeruginosa have certain weakness, for example, sputum culture is time-consuming and of low sensitivity; and polymerase chain reaction cannot be popularized clinically due to its high cost. Meanwhile, detection of volatile organic compounds is a sensitive, rapid, portable and inexpensive diagnostic method. This review focuses on the detection of volatile organic compounds in the diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory infection, discusses the existing problems, and puts forward relevant suggestions to provide reference for clinical application and future researches.