Weighing the pediatric patient during trauma resuscitation and its concordance with estimated weight using Broselow Luten Emergency Tape.
OBJECTIVE
Obtaining an accurate weight is crucial during pediatric trauma/medical resuscitation. Currently, length-based weight estimations are used. Study objective was to assess feasibility of obtaining actual weights of children during trauma resuscitation and study its concordance with length-based estimated weight using the Broselow Pediatric Emergency Tape.


METHODS
Pediatric trauma patients 0 to 14 years old presenting to a tertiary care pediatric trauma center between November 2008 and October 2009 were enrolled prospectively. Length-based weight estimation was done on patient arrival using the Broselow tape; in addition, an actual patient weight was recorded using the trauma stretcher integrated weighing scale.


RESULTS
Two hundred thirty-one patients were eligible and enrolled. Weights were recorded in 145 children (63.2%). In 27 patients (18.6%) whose body length exceeded Broselow tape range, weight was measured using stretcher scale only. The remaining 118 patients (mean age, 5.0 [SE ± 0.3] years; 67% male) were used for correlation analysis. There was good correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.86) between estimated weight and measured weight. However, Bland-Altman analysis showed mean bias +2.6 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-3.6 kg); lower/upper limits of agreement were -8.3 kg (CI, -10.0 to -6.6 kg) and 13.5 kg (CI, 11.7-15.2 kg).


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to obtain an actual patient weight during pediatric trauma resuscitation. Length-based estimated weight using Broselow tape underestimated weight by 2.6 kg; the mean error was greatest in the highest weight category.
Department of Pediatrics, Arizona Children's Center at Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA. Madhumita_Sinha@dmgaz.org
Madhumita
M
Sinha
Myra Wong
MW
Lezine
Alan
A
Frechette
Kevin N
KN
Foster
D000293:Adolescent; D001835:Body Weight; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004630:Emergencies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity; D012151:Resuscitation; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*