Tale of the Tape: How Accurate is the Broselow Tape for Weight Estimation and Drug Dosing?

In this study, the authors wanted to address questions regarding the Broselow tape’s accuracy in estimating pediatric weight, as well as examine its impact on drug calculations. They examined 1,318 studies and found 118 that met eligibility criteria for statistical review.
Eighty-four studies addressed weight estimation, of which 58 met criteria for review based on the strength of the quantitative data. The studies spanned from the 1988 article that introduced the Broselow tape to the latest articles in 2017. Their findings included the following:
>> The Broselow tape was significantly more accurate than provider guesses and age-based formulas;
>> Most studies showed it to be less accurate than parental guesses;
>> It was most accurate for children between 10 and 25 kg;
>> It resulted in just over 50% of children having a weight estimation within 10% of their actual body weight;
>> It consistently performed poorly when compared to other techniques that combine both length and body habitus, such as the Mercy method, the PAWPER tape, and the Wozniak method;
>> It consistently underestimates the weights of children in mid- to high-income counties, while overestimating the weights of children in low-income countries; and

Source: JEMS Patient Care - April 1, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Keith Wesley, MD, FACEP, FAEMS Tags: Patient Care Columns Source Type: news