Lung sound analysis for predicting recurrent wheezing in preschool children.

Background: In young healthy children, assessing airflow limitation may be difficult because of narrowing of the airways, which is a pathology of asthma, and responsiveness to bronchodilators.

Objective: We investigated whether lung sound analysis could predict the development of recurrent wheezing (RW), which is one of the signs of asthma.

Methods: In healthy children aged 3 to 24 months, we recorded and analyzed lung sounds before and after inhalation of bronchodilators and conducted a questionnaire survey. The children were followed up and assessed for the development of RW at age 3 years.

Results: Of the 62 patients analyzed, 19 (30.6%) developed RW. The parameters ratio of power and frequency at 50% of the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (RPF) and ratio of power and frequency at 75% of the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (RPF), calculated by lung sound analysis, were lower in the RW group, with odds ratios of 0.77 (95% CI = 0.61-0.98) and 0.81 (95% CI = 0.66-0.99), respectively. The rate of change of lung sound analysis parameters after bronchodilator inhalation did not differ among the participants as a group; however, in the subgroup of children with a history of atopic dermatitis, the fourth area under the curve (B) divided by the total area under the curve of 100 Hz to the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (A) and difference between the values of the ratio of power and frequency at 50% of the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (ΔRPF) were elevated in the RW group ( = .015 and  = .041, respectively). In the subgroup of children with total a IgE level greater than 20 kUA/L, the sensitivities and specificities for predicting the development of RW were 85.7% (95% CI = 48.7-99.3) and 68.8% (95% CI = 44.4-85.8), respectively, when the cutoff value of ΔRPF was set at 10.5%.

Conclusion: The method of lung sound analysis allows noninvasive assessment of the airway, including airway hypersensitivity, in young children and may predict the risk of development of RW.