Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity of the condition is variable. Pneumonia is usually caused by infection with viruses or bacteria, and less commonly by other microorganisms. Identifying the responsible pathogen can be difficult. Diagnosis is often based on symptoms and physical examination. Chest X-rays, blood tests, and culture of the sputum may help confirm the diagnosis. The disease may be classified by where it was acquired, such as community- or hospital-acquired or healthcare-associated pneumonia. Risk factors for pneumonia include cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sickle cell disease, asthma, diabetes, heart failure, a history of smoking, a poor ability to cough (such as following a stroke), and a weak immune system. Vaccines to prevent certain types of pneumonia (such as those caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, linked to influenza, or linked to COVID-19) are available. Other methods of prevention include hand washing to prevent infection, not smoking, and social distancing. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Pneumonia believed to be due to bacteria is treated with antibiotics. If the pneumonia is severe, the affected person is generally hospitalized. Oxygen therapy may be used if oxygen levels are low. Each year, pneumonia affects about 450 million people globally (7% of the population) and results in about 4 million deaths. With the introduction of antibiotics and vaccines in the 20th century, survival has greatly improved. Nevertheless, pneumonia remains a leading cause of death in developing countries, and also among the very old, the very young, and the chronically ill. Pneumonia often shortens the period of suffering among those already close to death and has thus been called "the old man's friend".

How to Count Coughs: An Event-Based Framework for Evaluating Automatic Cough Detection Algorithm Performance

David Atienza Alonso, Tomas Teijeiro Campo, Lara Orlandic, Jonathan Dan, Jérôme Paul Rémy Thevenot

Chronic cough disorders are widespread and challenging to assess because they rely on subjective patient questionnaires about cough frequency. Wearable devices running Machine Learning (ML) algorithms are promising for quantifying daily coughs, providing c ...

arXiv2024

DeepBreath-automated detection of respiratory pathology from lung auscultation in 572 pediatric outpatients across 5 countries

Martin Jaggi, Mary-Anne Hartley, Juliane Dervaux, Tatjana Chavdarova, Daniel Mueller, Julien Niklas Heitmann, Daniel Hinjos García, Alexandre Perez

The interpretation of lung auscultation is highly subjective and relies on non-specific nomenclature. Computer-aided analysis has the potential to better standardize and automate evaluation. We used 35.9 hours of auscultation audio from 572 pediatric outpa ...

NATURE PORTFOLIO2023

How to Count Coughs: An Event-Based Framework for Evaluating Automatic Cough Detection Algorithm Performance

Inactivation of influenza A virus in expiratory droplets and aerosol particles and the associated physicochemical drivers

DeepBreath-automated detection of respiratory pathology from lung auscultation in 572 pediatric outpatients across 5 countries

Inactivation of influenza A virus in expiratory droplets and aerosol particles and the associated physicochemical drivers

How to Count Coughs: An Event-Based Framework for Evaluating Automatic Cough Detection Algorithm Performance

DeepBreath-automated detection of respiratory pathology from lung auscultation in 572 pediatric outpatients across 5 countries