A Prospective Comparative Study of Mobile Acoustic Uroflowmetry and Conventional Uroflowmetry

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Technology
• Pediatric Healthcare

Background:

• Standard uroflowmetry (UFM) is a common diagnostic tool for evaluating lower urinary tract symptoms in children.
• Current UFM methods can be invasive or require specialized equipment, posing challenges in pediatric settings.
• Mobile health applications offer potential for noninvasive, accessible diagnostic solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of a novel mobile acoustic uroflowmetry (UFM) application against standard UFM in male pediatric patients.
• To determine the accuracy and reliability of acoustic UFM in measuring key voiding parameters.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving male pediatric patients undergoing standard UFM.
• Voiding sounds were recorded using a smartphone-based acoustic UFM application.
• Comparison of maximum flow rate (Qmax), average flow rate (Qavg), voiding time (VT), and voiding volume (VV) between acoustic and standard UFM.
• Statistical analysis included intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman limits of agreement.

Main Results:

• Strong correlations were found between acoustic UFM and standard UFM for Qmax (ICC=0.755), VT (ICC=0.974), and VV (ICC=0.930).
• Acoustic UFM demonstrated good agreement with standard UFM, as indicated by Bland-Altman analysis.
• Visual correlation of flow patterns between the two methods was also good, though Qavg showed weaker correlation (ICC=0.442).

Conclusions:

• Mobile acoustic uroflowmetry (UFM) is a comparable noninvasive alternative to standard UFM for male pediatric patients.
• The technology shows promise for convenient and accessible urinary flow assessment in children.
• Further validation in diverse settings is recommended for widespread clinical adoption.