Automated lung sound analysis using the LungPass platform: a sensitive and specific tool for identifying lower respiratory tract involvement in COVID-19

Lower respiratory tract (LRT) involvement, observed in about 20% of patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is associated with a more severe clinical course, adverse outcomes, and long-term sequelae [1, 2]. By pointing out people at risk of deterioration, early identification of LRT involvement could facilitate targeted and timely administration of treatments that could alter the short- and long-term disease outcomes [3]. While imaging represents the gold standard diagnostic test for LRT involvement, it is associated with a potentially avoidable radiation burden and may not be easily accessible in some treatment settings, such as primary care [4]. On the other hand, oxygen desaturation appears to be a specific, but not sensitive marker, since ground glass changes or consolidation are often observed in the absence of hypoxia [5, 6, 7]. The sensitivity of chest auscultation in identifying LRT involvement has been evaluated in limited populations and varies [8, 9], possibly to some extent due to variable skill among the assessors.

The LungPass, an automated lung sound analysis platform consisting of an electronic wireless stethoscope paired with a mobile phone application, could standardize auscultation process by limiting observer’s bias. The LungPass algorithm was developed using neural network technology and trained using sequential derivation sets of lung sound recordings. Next, the performance properties of the algorithm were evaluated in a separated validation cohort of 200 sound recordings. All the lung sound recordings used were adjudicated by a panel of expert respiratory physicians. Based on the validation cohort, the LungPass can identify normal lung sounds with a sensitivity of 96.9% and a specificity of 90%, crackles (92.5%, 82.5%) and wheeze (99.4%, 90.0%), as well as identifying artifacts and heart sounds (the development process will be reported separately).

We hypothesized that the LungPass could be used as a screening tool for LRT involvement in patients with COVID-19. In a prospective observational study that was conducted in the 5th City Clinical Hospital and the Minsk Regional Tuberculosis Dispensary (Minsk Region, Belarus), we evaluated the sensitivity of lung sounds assessed by a respiratory physician or by the LungPass in identifying LRT involvement in patients with COVID-19. The study included 282 adults presenting in the emergency department with a strong clinical suspicion of COVID-19 and imaging findings consistent with COVID-19 LRT involvement (ground glass opacities and/or consolidation). A confirmatory PCR result was available in 72.3% of the participants. Sequential chest auscultation in 11 pre-specified points (figure 1) was conducted using the LungPass followed by a consultant chest physician using a high-quality stethoscope, on the same occasion, and within 24 h from hospital presentation of the participants. The consultant chest physicians had extensive expertise in assessing patients with respiratory diseases (VK, NV, MC; 5–20 years of fulltime clinical practice). Lung sounds in each auscultation site were recorded as normal breathing sounds, crackles, wheeze, cardiac sounds, or artifacts (the last two types of sounds were excluded). To estimate the performance characteristics of the LungPass (sensitivity and specificity), we also used it to auscultate 32 consecutive adult patients admitted to the hospital with non-respiratory problems.

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/09/09/13993003.01907-2021