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The Accuracy of Broselow Tape Weight Estimate among Pediatric Population
Turki M AlHarbi1, Abdullaziz AlGarni1, Fasial AlGamdi1
1Pediatric Emergency Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
The Broselow Tape (BT) 2007 and 2011 versions accurately estimate pediatric weight based on height. The 2011 version offers a more precise weight estimation for children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Medical Device Accuracy
- Clinical Biometrics
Background:
- Accurate weight estimation is critical for pediatric emergency care.
- The Broselow Tape (BT) is a widely used tool for estimating pediatric weight based on height.
- Evaluating the accuracy of different BT versions is essential for optimizing clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of the Broselow Tape (BT) 2007 and 2011 versions in estimating pediatric weight.
- To compare the performance of the two BT versions in a diverse pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 3537 children aged 1-143 months.
- Collected height and actual weight data.
- Compared actual weights with estimated weights derived from BT 2007 and BT 2011 using height measurements.
Main Results:
- Both BT 2007 and 2011 showed accurate weight estimations, with high correlations to actual weights (0.698-0.788).
- The 2011 version demonstrated slightly more precise weight estimations compared to the 2007 version.
- Accuracy decreased for children older than 95 months or weighing over 26 kilograms.
Conclusions:
- Broselow Tape versions 2007 and 2011 provide reliable pediatric weight estimations based on height.
- The 2011 Broselow Tape version offers improved precision in weight estimation.
- Clinical use should consider limitations in older/heavier children.
Abstract:
Objective. To determine the accuracy of the Broselow Tape (BT) versions 2007 and 2011 in estimating weight among pediatric population. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Fahad Medical City and six schools across Riyadh province on 1-143-month-old children. BT 2007 and 2011 estimated weights were recorded. Both tapes via the child's height produce an estimated weight, which was compared with the actual weight. Results. A total of 3537 children were recruited. The height (cm) of the subjects was 97.7 ± 24.1 and the actual weight (kg) was 16.07 ± 8.9, whereas the estimated weight determined by BT 2007 was 15.87 ± 7.56 and by BT 2011 was 16.38 ± 7.95. Across all the five age groups, correlation between actual weight and BT 2007 ranged between 0.702 and 0.788, while correlation between actual weight and BT 2011 ranged between 0.698 and 0.788. Correlation between BT 2007 and BT 2011 across all the five age groups ranged from 0.979 to 0.989. Accuracy of both the tape versions was adversely affected when age was >95 months and body weight was >26 kilograms. Conclusions. Our study showed that BT 2007 and 2011 provided accurate estimation of the body weight based on measured body height. However, 2011 version provided more precise estimate for weight.
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