Archives of disease in childhood
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Key components in the assessment of a child in the emergency department (ED) are their heart and respiratory rates. In order to interpret these signs, practitioners must know what is normal for a particular age. The aim of this paper is to develop age-specific centiles for these parameters and to compare centiles with the previously published work of Fleming and Bonafide, and the Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) reference ranges. ⋯ Clinicians should consider adopting these centiles when assessing acutely unwell children. APLS should review their normal values for respiratory rate in infants and teenagers.