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Reference ranges for respiratory rate measured by thermistry (12-84 months)
M K Marks1, M South, J B Carlin
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne.
Insights
This study established age-specific reference ranges for children's respiratory rates. Respiratory rate naturally decreases with age and is lower during sleep than wakefulness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Physiology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Previous research on pediatric respiratory rates suffered from methodological limitations.
- Accurate reference ranges are crucial for assessing children's respiratory health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish reliable, age-specific reference ranges for respiratory rate in children.
- To investigate factors influencing respiratory rate, including age, sleep state, sex, and respiratory symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Respiratory rate was measured using nasal thermoconsole in children aged 12-84 months.
- Data collected from 293 awake children and 123 sleeping children.
- Reference ranges were calculated based on age and sleep state.
Main Results:
- Mean respiratory rate declined significantly with increasing age in both awake and sleeping children.
- Respiratory rate was significantly lower and less variable during sleep compared to wakefulness.
- Neither sex nor respiratory symptoms (past or present) significantly impacted the reference ranges.
Conclusions:
- This study provides validated, age-specific reference ranges for pediatric respiratory rates.
- Sleep state is a critical factor influencing respiratory rate in children.
- The established ranges can aid clinicians in the accurate assessment of respiratory function in children.
Abstract:
Previous studies of respiratory rate in children have had a number of methodological problems. The aim of this study was to construct age specific reference ranges for respiratory rate. Respiratory rate in children attending childcare centres, kindergartens, and schools was measured using a nasal thermocouple to obtain respiratory waveforms. Reference ranges were constructed using data from 293 awake children between 12 and 84 months, and from 123 sleeping children between 12 and 60 months. The mean respiratory rate declined with increasing age and was significantly lower, with lower variability, during sleep than wakefulness. Neither the awake nor sleeping reference ranges were significantly affected by sex, nor by the presence of past respiratory nor current respiratory symptoms.