Mike Wells1, Lara Nicole Goldstein2, Allison Bentley3. 1. Division of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa. Electronic address: mike.wells@emergencymedicine.co.za. 2. Division of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa. Electronic address: drg666@gmail.com. 3. Division of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa. Electronic address: bentley@wits.ac.za.
Abstract
AIM: When children's weight cannot be measured during medical emergencies, it must be estimated, as weight is required for many interventions. Age-based formulas are the oldest weight estimation systems in children, but have been shown to be very inaccurate in many studies. This aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of age- and length-based formulas and to see if a measure of body habitus could be used to improve the performance of these formulas. METHODS: This was an analysis of data from a sample of 1085 children aged from 1 month to 16 years, collected from four Emergency Departments in Johannesburg, South Africa. Basic demographic and anthropometric data was collected and each child had a visual assessment of body habitus, quantified as a habitus score. Weight estimates from 20 existing age-based formulas and two length-based formulas were then compared against measured weight to determine their accuracy. Age- and length-based, habitus-modified models were developed and similarly evaluated.
AIM: When children's weight cannot be measured during medical emergencies, it must be estimated, as weight is required for many interventions. Age-based formulas are the oldest weight estimation systems in children, but have been shown to be very inaccurate in many studies. This aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of age- and length-based formulas and to see if a measure of body habitus could be used to improve the performance of these formulas. METHODS: This was an analysis of data from a sample of 1085 children aged from 1 month to 16 years, collected from four Emergency Departments in Johannesburg, South Africa. Basic demographic and anthropometric data was collected and each child had a visual assessment of body habitus, quantified as a habitus score. Weight estimates from 20 existing age-based formulas and two length-based formulas were then compared against measured weight to determine their accuracy. Age- and length-based, habitus-modified models were developed and similarly evaluated.
Authors: Yeyi Zhu; Ladia M Hernandez; Yongquan Dong; John H Himes; Laura E Caulfield; Jean M Kerver; Lenore Arab; Paula Voss; Steven Hirschfeld; Michele R Forman Journal: Public Health Nutr Date: 2018-10-18 Impact factor: 4.022