A prospective multicentre study testing the diagnostic accuracy of an automated cough sound centred analytic system for the identification of common respiratory disorders in children

In paediatrics, respiratory disorders represent the second most common reason for attendance at Emergency Departments (ED) [1, 2] and are a significant global disease burden [3]. Common conditions in childhood include croup, upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), and lower respiratory tract diseases (LRTDs) such as asthma/reactive airway disease (RAD), bronchiolitis, pneumonitis and pneumonia [2, 4]. Lower respiratory tract infections are a significant cause of mortality in children aged under 5 years and a leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost worldwide [5–7]. Asthma represents the leading cause of non-fatal disease burden in Australian children under age 14 years [8, 9]. The differential diagnosis of respiratory disorders can be challenging even for experienced clinicians with access to diagnostic support services.