Pediatric research
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Multicenter Study
Accuracy of weight estimation by the Broselow tape is substantially improved by including a visual assessment of body habitus.
BackgroundThe Broselow tape (BT) has been shown to estimate weight poorly primarily because of variations in body habitus. The manufacturers have suggested that a visual assessment of habitus may be used to increase its performance. This study evaluated the ability of habitus-modified models to improve the accuracy thereof. ⋯ The best dosing model improved dosing accuracy (doses within 10% of correct dose) from 52.0 to 69.6% and reduced critical dosing errors from 16.5 to 4.3%. The best weight-estimation model improved accuracy from 59.4 to 81.9% and reduced critical errors from 11.8 to 1.9%. ConclusionThe accuracy of the BT as a drug-dosing and weight-estimation device can be substantially improved by including an appraisal of body habitus in the methodology.