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Characteristics of Breath Sounds During Methacholine-induced Bronchoconstriction in Children with Asthma

Tomohiko Imamura, Mayumi Enseki, Yoshifumi Murayama

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. mochihi@tokai-u.jp.

The Tokai Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine
|September 8, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Analyzing breath sounds can detect airway narrowing in asthma. Changes in high-pitch sound frequencies during a methacholine challenge indicate bronchoconstriction and reversibility with bronchodilators.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Medical Acoustics

Background:

  • Asthma management relies on lung function tests.
  • Non-invasive methods for assessing airway constriction are valuable.
  • Breath sound analysis offers a potential non-invasive approach.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of breath sound analysis as a non-invasive lung function test.
  • To assess specific breath sound changes during methacholine inhalation challenge in asthmatic children.
  • To determine if breath sound analysis can detect airway constriction and bronchodilation.

Main Methods:

  • 57 children with atopic asthma underwent methacholine inhalation challenge.
  • Breath sound spectrum was measured before and after methacholine and beta-agonist inhalation.
  • Analysis focused on changes in breath sound parameters and the sound spectrum.

Main Results:

  • Methacholine inhalation significantly decreased RPF75 and RPF50, indicating bronchoconstriction.
  • A significant increase in the high-pitch area (around 1,500 Hz) of the sound spectrum was observed post-methacholine.
  • Beta-agonist inhalation reversed these changes, indicating bronchodilation.

Conclusions:

  • Methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction produces a reversible high-pitch sound.
  • Changes in the high-pitch area of the breath sound spectrum can detect airway narrowing in asthma.
  • Breath sound analysis shows promise as a non-invasive tool for asthma assessment.
Abstract

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