Random tree algorithm-based pediatric pneumonia screening using heart rate, respiration rate and temperature

Despite a reduction in pneumonia-related mortality, pneumonia remains a leading cause of death among children aged 0-5 years. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries. However, more than half of pneumonia-related deaths are preventable with improved facilities and health strategies. Early rapid diagnosis is important to decrease pneumonia mortality. We developed a portable, cost-effective, rapid pneumonia screening system using a random tree algorithm to support early detection of pneumonia in children. We enrolled 105 participants: 57 patients aged 1-13 years (33 boys, 24 girls) diagnosed with pneumonia by chest radiograph and 48 normal volunteers aged 2-14 years (25 boys, 22 girls). We conducted a clinical trial in the Bayangol District Geriatric and Pediatric Hospital, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from January 12-19, 2019. Our screening system measured heart rate, respiration rate and skin temperature within 10 seconds and used a random tree algorithm to distinguish patients with pneumonia and normal volunteers. The system uses a photosensor, Doppler radar, and infrared thermophile to determine vital signs and an Arduino Nano microprocessor to perform computations. Paired t-tests were used to compare vital signs between patients with pneumonia and normal volunteers. The random tree algorithm achieved sensitivity of 96.5%, specificity of 81.3%, positive predictive value of 85.9%, and negative predictive value of 95.1%. The paired t-tests showed strong statistically significant differences in all three vital signs between patients with pneumonia and normal volunteers. Our random tree algorithm-based screening system offers an effective, rapid, and convenient tool for early detection of pneumonia in children. Its cost-effectiveness enables application in low-income countries. The system measures multiple vital signs simultaneously within 10 seconds, which may be useful for initial physical examinations in pediatric hospitals.