CHARACTERIZATION OF THE AVERAGE POWER, FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE OF ACOUSTIC SIGNAL PEAKS OVER THE LUNGS IN CHILDREN WITH COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA USING THE NEW DEVICE "TREMBITA-CORONA"
Authors: Marushko Yu. , Khomych O. 
Published: May 2023

Background. Community-acquired pneumonia (CАР) is an urgent problem today and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Diagnosis of pneumonia is complex and requires a comprehensive study. At present, respiratory acoustics is a promising method of diagnosis.

Aim: to investigate the features of average power values, frequencies and amplitudes of acoustic signal peaks over the lungs in children with community-acquired pneumonia using a new acoustic diagnostic device "Trembita-Corona".

Materials and methods. 120 children aged from 1 month to 18 years who were treated in pediatric departments were studied. The children were divided into two groups: Group I - 60 patients with CAP, Group II - 60 healthy children. The children from the 1st group underwent complex examinations, which required CAP. All children were also examined using the "Trembita-Corona" acoustic monitoring device for the diagnosis of breathing sounds and localization of lung damage zones.

The study was conducted in accordance with the international principles of conducting clinical studies GCP, GLP, the protocol was approved at the meeting of the Commission on Bioethical Expertise at the National Medical University named after O.O. Bogomolets (protocol No. 138 of November 10, 2020). Informed consent of parents/guardians was obtained for conducting the study, which was approved at the same meeting of the Commission on Bioethical Expertise at Bogomolets National Medical University (protocol № 138 of November 10, 2020).

Mathematical processing was carried out on specialized software developed in the Python language in the Google Codelabs environment. Further statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out in specialized programs Medstart, EZR (R-Statistics) and "Matlab".

Results. In children, the clinical picture of CAP consisted of pulmonary (respiratory) complaints, symptoms of intoxication, RF, and local physical changes. All patients were examined for respiratory lung sounds in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 30 kHz using the "Trembita-Corona" device and the corresponding original software. The most promising are the studies of breathing noises in the ranges of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 octaves. Also, significant differences in average signal power between children with CAP and healthy children in 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 octaves were found. Using the "Trembita-Corona" acoustic monitoring device, reliable differences in peak frequency between children with CAP and healthy children in 0 and 5 octaves and reliable differences in peak amplitude between children with CAP and healthy children in 0, 1, 2, 3 were found. ,4,5,6 octaves. Therefore, the use of the "Trembita-Corona" acoustic monitoring device and the use of the developed specialized software in the Python language in the Google Codelabs environment together make it possible to hear specific acoustic signals over the entire surface of the lungs in children with CAP.

Conclusion. The "Trembita-Corona" acoustic monitoring device is a new and promising acoustic method for determining the location of the pathological process in the lungs. Significant differences were found: in the average signal strength between children with CAP and healthy children in 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 octaves; on the frequency of peaks between children with CAP and healthy children in 0 and 5 octaves; by the amplitude of peaks between children with CAP and healthy children in 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 octaves.