Wearable Vital Signs Monitoring for Patients With Asthma: A Review

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Respiratory Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Asthma causes significant annual mortality, necessitating timely identification of patient deterioration.
• Effective asthma management requires patients to monitor symptoms and identify triggers.
• Current treatments can alleviate symptoms but early detection of worsening conditions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review state-of-the-art wearable sensors and devices for asthma patient monitoring using vital signs.
• To explore how vital signs measured by wearables can aid in asthma management and exacerbation prediction.

Main Methods:

• Review of current wearable sensor technologies and their application in asthma monitoring.
• Analysis of vital signs such as breathing rate, airflow sound, ECG, PPG, and chest movements for asthma detection.
• Inclusion of other vital signs like blood oxygen saturation, temperature, blood pressure, and pain responses.

Main Results:

• Breathing rate and airflow sound are key indicators measurable by wearable sensors.
• ECG and PPG signals, integrated into smartwatches and chest bands, facilitate asthma exacerbation prediction.
• Wearable vital sign monitoring offers diverse application scenarios for asthma management.

Conclusions:

• Wearable vital sign monitoring presents a promising approach for continuous and proactive asthma management.
• Integration of multiple vital signs through wearable technology can enhance early detection of asthma deterioration.
• Further development and application of these sensors can significantly contribute to reducing asthma-related mortality.