A smartphone app that can hear ear infections in children

https://www.washington.edu/news/2019/05/15/smartphone-app-can-hear-ear-infections/

by curtis • 7 years ago

63 28 7 years ago

neonate• 7 years ago

curiousgal• 7 years ago

Reporting an accuracy of 85% doesn't mean much in a medical context. Reporting the Sensitivity/Specificity should be the norm.

empath752• 7 years ago

Also sort of pointless since most ear infections don’t need treatment.

couchand• 7 years ago

Not pointless at all. If you can track it easily at home and only visit the doctor when it becomes an issue that's a win for everyone.

whenchamenia• 7 years ago

I am nearly deaf thanks to unattended childhood ear infections. You could not be more wrong.

askvictor• 7 years ago

Even if they don't need treatment, it's useful to know why your child is screaming/complaining.

jdgiese• 7 years ago

I am not a medical professional, so I may be getting some details wrong, but my understanding is that many pediatricians over-prescribe antibiotics for ear-infections (sometimes due to demands of the parents), and having additional information may help in this regard.

Over-prescribing antibiotics is bad because (1) some children have serious allergic reactions to them (and sometimes these develop over time), (2) they contribute to the evolution of antibiotic resistance.

fmahaztra2• 7 years ago

Making the diagnosis of any medical condition easier necessarily can't be pointless

sytelus• 7 years ago

Absolutely not. Kids age < 4 get these all the time. When they cry or feel bad, you don't know if you want to go to doctor all the time. For poor people this is even more difficult decision. Ear infections when treated early can be much less painful or even dangerous. This kind of apps is definitely useful.

rdruxn• 7 years ago

You're correct. They included a link to the actual paper: https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/11/492/eaav1102

According to the paper, they achieved 85% sensitivity and 82% specificity (N=98)

diveanon2• 7 years ago

This could be very useful for adults as well. I work in scuba diving and am definitely in interested in this app.

fmahaztra2• 7 years ago

Are ear infections common for divers? Is protective ear gear not common/not effective?

diveanon2• 7 years ago

Very common.

I spend on average 4 hours a day underwater in tropical seas loaded with bacteria.

Protective ear gear is available, however it impedes the ears natural ability to equalize pressure under water and can easily lead to permanent barotrauma (pressure injuries). I have been diving recreationally for 20 years and professionally for 4 and have never met a diver who uses them.

Typically they take the form of a mask with "ear muffs" that are connected to the the front of the mask by hollow tubes that allow you to equalize pressure. I tried them once and found them ineffective and borderline dangerous.

The most effective way that I have found to prevent ear infections while diving is to use "ear beer" drops that are equal parts alcohol and white vinegar. Some divers add oil to make a nice vinaigrette. I am being totally serious.

I use the drops for 5 minutes in each ear after I shower before bed, and after every single dive I clean my ears with fresh water.

Urgo• 7 years ago

Looks cool. If the app was on the play store I'd test it out, but looks like its not released. Below is the relevant quote from the story which links to their website which has no info.

"The researchers plan on commercializing this technology through a spinout company, Edus Health [1], and then making the app available to the public."

[1] http://edushealth.com/

antpls2• 7 years ago

"Our mission is to make pediatric healthcare more accessible."

Well, they could just release the algorithm / paper / java / app if they really wanted to make it more accessible.

I agree they should be rewarded for their findings, but these kinds of healthcare apps should be free and open source

frittig2• 7 years ago

How exactly would that work? Should the government offer to buy it for the asking price and then release it for free? What if the asking price is overly inflated because the government with it's endless budget is buying it? What if the government prefers to buy products that were developed in a variety of states and by a variety of people with different skin colors and chromosomes?

Or should it be illegal for researchers to sell these type of product? That will cause all of the brilliant talented people who need money to look elsewhere for work. I wonder if they will be able to get a competent team.

madhadron• 7 years ago

My son was in the data set for this! I'm delighted to finally see the paper!

A smartphone app that can hear ear infections in children

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