CHEST 2022: Cough monitoring using artificial intelligence to complement smoke cessation interventions

Summary

We have observed how objective cough frequency dynamics motivate smokers to quit smoking. A case of a 71 year-old female with a history of smoking 20-40 cigarettes/day between ages 18 to 36, and from age 67 to present is described.

We carried out a study evaluating potential uses of an AI-based cough detection system in northernSpain. Among enrolled participants there was a 71 year-old female with a history of smoking 20-40 cigarettes/day between ages 18to 36, and from age 67 to present. Past medical history revealed chronic non-productive cough, and several episodes of upperrespiratory tract infections per year. She was enrolled in November 2020, when the AI system registered a mean cough frequencyof 52 coughs/day. Following a quitting attempt in January 2021, she reported improvement in respiratory symptoms, whichmatched a reduction in cough frequency to 12 coughs/day. This was sustained until April, when a smoking relapse increasedcough frequency. Observing this contributed to her decision to stop smoking.