Paediatric advanced life support. Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines. Advanced Life Support Committee of the Australian Resuscitation Council

Validation of the Lusaka Formula: A Novel Formula for Weight Estimation in Children Presenting for Surgery in Zambia

BACKGROUND

In children, the use of actual weight or predicted weight from various estimation methods is essential to reduce harm associated with dosing errors. This study aimed to validate the new locally derived Lusaka formula on an independent cohort of children undergoing surgery at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, to compare the Lusaka formula's performance to commonly used weight prediction tools and to assess the nutritional status of this population.

METHODS

The Lusaka formula (weight = [age in months/2] + 3.5 if under 1 year; weight = 2×[age in years] + 7 if older than 1 year) was derived from a previously published data set. We aimed to validate this formula in a new data set. Weights, heights, and ages of 330 children up to 14 years were measured before surgery. Accuracy was examined by comparing the (1) mean percentage error and (2) the percentage of actual weights that fell between 10% and 20% of the estimated weight for the Lusaka formula, and for other existing tools. World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), and body mass index (BMI) were used to assess nutritional status.

RESULTS

The Lusaka formula had similar precision to the Broselow tape: 160 (48.5%) vs 158 (51.6%) children were within 10% of the estimated weight, 241 (73.0%) vs 245 (79.5%) children were within 20% of the estimated weight. The Lusaka formula slightly underestimated weight (mean bias, -0.5 kg) in contrast to all other predictive tools, which overestimated on average. Twenty-two percent of children had moderate or severe chronic malnutrition (stunting) and 4.7% of children had moderate or severe acute malnutrition (wasting).

CONCLUSIONS

The Lusaka formula is comparable to, or better than, other age-based weight prediction tools in children presenting for surgery at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, and has the advantage that it covers a wider age range than tools with comparable accuracy. In this population, commonly used aged-based prediction tools significantly overestimate weights.

Evaluation of the accuracy of common weight estimation formulae in a Zambian paediatric surgical population

Limited resources and access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa are associated with high rates of malnourished children, although many countries globally are demonstrating increasing childhood obesity. This study evaluated how well current age- or height-based formulae estimate the weight of children undergoing surgery in Zambia. All children under 14 years of age presenting for elective surgery at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, had both height and weight measured. Their actual weight was compared against estimated weight from various formulae. The Broselow tape outperformed all the age-based formulae, demonstrating the lowest median percentage error of -5.8%, with 46.0% of estimates falling within 10% of the actual measured weight (p < 0.001). Of the 1111 children who were eligible for World Health Organization growth standard appraisal, 88 (8%) met the weight criteria for severe acute malnutrition. Our results are consistent with other studies in finding that the Broselow tape is the best estimator of weight in a lower middle-income country, followed by the original Advanced Paediatric Life Support formula if the Broselow tape is unavailable.

Are There Hallmarks of Child Abuse? I. Osseous Injuries

Fractures are commonly found in cases regarded as child abuse. The most commonly encountered fractures are to the ribs and the metaphyses. This paper examines the specificity of the classical metaphyseal lesion (CML) and rib fractures as hallmarks of child abuse. Recently, vitamin D deficiency (rickets) has been proposed as an alternative cause for the appearances typically described in CML. The literature in this area is examined. Rib fractures have also been highly associated with child abuse, particularly posterior rib fractures. As well as metabolic bone disease, resuscitation has been examined as a cause of rib fractures in young children. The current literature remains strongly supportive of rib fractures and metaphyseal fractures being indicators of child abuse.

Using the Mercy Method for Weight Estimation in Indian Children

This study was designed to compare the performance of a new weight estimation strategy (Mercy Method) with 12 existing weight estimation methods (APLS, Best Guess, Broselow, Leffler, Luscombe-Owens, Nelson, Shann, Theron, Traub-Johnson, Traub-Kichen) in children from India. Otherwise healthy children, 2 months to 16 years, were enrolled and weight, height, humeral length (HL), and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were obtained by trained raters. Weight estimation was performed as described for each method. Predicted weights were regressed against actual weights and the slope, intercept, and Pearson correlation coefficient estimated. Agreement between estimated weight and actual weight was determined using Bland–Altman plots with log-transformation. Predictive performance of each method was assessed using mean error (ME), mean percentage error (MPE), and root mean square error (RMSE). Three hundred seventy-five children (7.5 ± 4.3 years, 22.1 ± 12.3 kg, 116.2 ± 26.3 cm) participated in this study. The Mercy Method (MM) offered the best correlation between actual and estimated weight when compared with the other methods (r² = .967 vs .517-.844). The MM also demonstrated the lowest ME, MPE, and RMSE. Finally, the MM estimated weight within 20% of actual for nearly all children (96%) as opposed to the other methods for which these values ranged from 14% to 63%. The MM performed extremely well in Indian children with performance characteristics comparable to those observed for US children in whom the method was developed. It appears that the MM can be used in Indian children without modification, extending the utility of this weight estimation strategy beyond Western populations.

Evaluation of the Mercy weight estimation method in Ouelessebougou, Mali

Background

This study evaluated the performance of a new weight estimation strategy (Mercy Method) with four existing weight-estimation methods (APLS, ARC, Broselow, and Nelson) in children from Ouelessebougou, Mali.

Methods

Otherwise healthy children, 2 mos to 16 yrs, were enrolled and weight, height, humeral length (HL) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) obtained by trained raters. Weight estimation was performed as described for each method. Predicted weights were regressed against actual weights. Agreement between estimated and actual weight was determined using Bland-Altman plots with log-transformation. Predictive performance of each method was assessed using residual error (RE), percentage error (PE), root mean square error (RMSE), and percent predicted within 10, 20 and 30% of actual weight.

Results

473 children (8.1 ± 4.8 yr, 25.1 ± 14.5 kg, 120.9 ± 29.5 cm) participated in this study. The Mercy Method (MM) offered the best correlation between actual and estimated weight when compared with the other methods (r² = 0.97 vs. 0.80-0.94). The MM also demonstrated the lowest ME (0.06 vs. 0.92-4.1 kg), MPE (1.6 vs. 7.8-19.8%) and RMSE (2.6 vs. 3.0-6.7). Finally, the MM estimated weight within 20% of actual for nearly all children (97%) as opposed to the other methods for which these values ranged from 50-69%.

Conclusions

The MM performed extremely well in Malian children with performance characteristics comparable to those observed for U.S and India and could be used in sub-Saharan African children without modification extending the utility of this weight estimation strategy.

Evaluation of the Mercy TAPE: performance against the standard for pediatric weight estimation

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We assessed the performance of 2 new devices (2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPE) to implement the Mercy Method for pediatric weight estimation and contrasted their accuracy with the Broselow method.

METHODS

We enrolled children aged 2 months through 16 years in this prospective, multicenter, observational study. Height/length, weight, humeral length, and mid-upper arm circumference were obtained for each child, using calibrated scales and measures. We then made measurements with blinded versions of the 2D- and 3D-TAPEs. Using height/length data, we calculated the weight estimated by the Broselow method. We contrasted measures with mean error, mean percentage error, and percentage predicted within 10% and 20% of actual.

RESULTS

Six hundred twenty-four participants (median 8.5 years, 27.6 kg, 17.3 kg/m(2)) completed the study. Mean error was 0.3 kg (mean percentage error 1.6%), 0.2 kg (mean percentage error 1.9%), and -1.3 kg (mean percentage error -4.1%) for 2D-, 3D-, and Broselow, respectively. Concordance between both TAPE devices and the Mercy Method was greater than 0.99. The proportion of children predicted within 10% and 20% of actual weight was 76% and 98% for the 2D-TAPE and 65% and 93% for the 3D-TAPE. Excluding the 209 (33%) children who were too tall for the device, Broselow predictions were within 10% and 20% of actual weight in 59% and 91%.

CONCLUSION

The 2D- and 3D-Mercy TAPEs outperform the Broselow tape for pediatric weight estimation and can be used in a wider range of children.

Validation of an improved pediatric weight estimation strategy

OBJECTIVES

To validate the recently described Mercy method for weight estimation in an independent cohort of children living in the United States.

METHODS

Anthropometric data including weight, height, humeral length, and mid upper arm circumference were collected from 976 otherwise healthy children (2 months to 14 years old). The data were used to examine the predictive performances of the Mercy method and four other weight estimation strategies (the Advanced Pediatric Life Support [APLS] method, the Broselow tape, and the Luscombe and Owens and the Nelson methods).

RESULTS

THE MERCY METHOD DEMONSTRATED ACCURACY COMPARABLE TO THAT OBSERVED IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY (MEAN ERROR: -0.3 kg; mean percentage error: -0.3%; root mean square error: 2.62 kg; 95% limits of agreement: 0.83-1.19). This method estimated weight within 20% of actual for 95% of children compared with 58.7% for APLS, 78% for Broselow, 54.4% for Luscombe and Owens, and 70.4% for Nelson. Furthermore, the Mercy method was the only weight estimation strategy which enabled prediction of weight in all of the children enrolled.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mercy method proved to be highly accurate and more robust than existing weight estimation strategies across a wider range of age and body mass index values, thereby making it superior to other existing approaches.

Resuscitation beyond 10 minutes of term babies born without signs of life

OBJECTIVE

To obtain population-based data on babies who were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit despite having Apgar scores of 0 up to and including 10 min, and to document their outcomes. We aimed also to review other studies where outcomes following a 10-min Apgar score of 0 were described, and to combine them with own results. Current recommendations regarding the discontinuation of resuscitation will be reconsidered in light of these results.

METHODS

In order to obtain population-based data for babies born in New South Wales (NSW), a request was made to the NSW Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Study (NICUS) directors to allow identification of babies in the NICUS database with Apgar scores of 0 at both 1 and 5 minutes. Individual directors were then asked to determine from their hospital records, which of these babies had a 10-minute Apgar of 0, and to provide the results of follow-up assessments of any survivors in this subgroup.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine full-term newborns with a 10-minute Apgar score of 0 were identified. Twenty of the 29 babies died before leaving hospital. Of the 9 who were discharged alive, eight had severe disability and one had moderate disability. Thus death or severe disability occurred in 28/29 (97%), and death or any disability in 100%. Combining with other published studies, death or severe disability occurred in 63/64 (98%).

CONCLUSION

The above findings strongly support the discontinuation of resuscitation if a baby remains asystolic at 10 minutes.

Improvement in resuscitation knowledge after a one-day paediatric life-support course

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of a one-day paediatric life-support course on the knowledge of paediatric trainees.

METHODS

A telephone survey was performed prior to and at set intervals following the course. Responses to individual questions before and after the course were analysed and an overall test score was calculated. The acquisition and retention of knowledge was measured by comparing test scores for the same group of trainees at time intervals after the course.

RESULTS

All candidates were surveyed. The median duration of paediatric training prior to the course was 3 years. Eighteen candidates (78%) had previously intubated a child and 13 (57%) had previously used an intraosseous needle. Prior to the course, few of the 23 candidates had adequate knowledge of either the management of the cervical spine in the seriously injured child (17%), fluid resuscitation in meningococcal septicemia (52%), shock dose in ventricular fibrillation (61%), or the management of anaphylactic shock (35%). There was a significant improvement in the knowledge of the group after the course, with median test scores increasing from 19 to a maximum of 22 (P < 0.001). This knowledge was retained at 4 months after the course.

CONCLUSION

Despite a high level of experience and previous training in paediatric resuscitation, many candidates lacked the basic knowledge necessary for the resuscitation of seriously ill or injured children. There was a significant improvement in this knowledge after the course, and this was maintained for 4 months. The paediatric life-support course is an important means of resuscitation training for junior doctors.

An analysis of the efficacy of bag-valve-mask ventilation and chest compression during different compression-ventilation ratios in manikin-simulated paediatric resuscitation

The ideal chest compression and ventilation ratio for children during performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has not been determined. The efficacy of chest compression and ventilation during compression ventilation ratios of 5:1, 10:2 and 15:2 was examined. Eighteen nurses, working in pairs, were instructed to provide chest compression and bag-valve-mask ventilation for 1 min with each ratio in random on a child-sized manikin. The subjects had been previously taught paediatric CPR within the last 3 or 5 months. The efficacy of ventilation was assessed by measurement of the expired tidal volume and the number of breaths provided. The rate of chest compression was guided by a metronome set at 100/min. The efficacy of chest compressions was assessed by measurement of the rate and depth of compression. There was no significant difference in the mean tidal volume or the percentage of effective chest compressions delivered for each compression-ventilation ratio. The number of breaths delivered was greatest with the ratio of 5:1. The percentage of effective chest compressions was equal with all three methods but the number of effective chest compressions was greatest with a ratio of 5:1. This study supports the use of a compression-ventilation ratio of 5:1 during two-rescuer paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Resuscitation of the newly born infant: an advisory statement from the Pediatric Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), with representation from North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and South America, was formed in 1992 to provide a forum for liaison between resuscitation organizations in the developed world. This consensus document on resuscitation extends previously published ILCOR advisory statements on resuscitation to address the unique and changing physiology of the newly born infant within the first few hours following birth and the techniques for providing advanced life support. After careful review of the international resuscitation literature and after discussion of key and controversial issues, consensus was reached on almost all aspects of neonatal resuscitation, and areas of controversy and high priority for additional research were delineated. Consensus on resuscitation for the newly. born infant included the following principles. (i) Personnel trained in the basic skills of resuscitation should be in attendance at every delivery. A minority (fewer than 10%) of newly born infants require active resuscitative interventions to establish a vigorous cry and regular respirations, maintain a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute (bpm), and maintain good color and tone. (ii) When meconium is present in the amniotic fluid, it should be suctioned from the hypopharynx on delivery of the head. If the meconium-stained newly born infant has absent or depressed respirations, heart rate, or muscle tone, residual meconium should be suctioned from the trachea. (ii) Attention to ventilation should be of primary concern. Assisted ventilation with attention to oxygen delivery, inspiratory time, and effectiveness judged by chest rise should be provided if stimulation does not achieve prompt onset of spontaneous respirations and/or the heart rate is less than 100 bpm. (iv) Chest compressions should be provided if the heart rate is absent or remains less than 60 bpm despite adequate assisted ventilation for 30 s. Chest compressions should be coordinated with ventilations at a ratio of 3:1 and a rate of 120 'events' per minute to achieve approximately 90 compressions and 30 rescue breaths per minute. (v) Epinephrine should be administered intravenously or intratracheally if the heart rate remains less than 60 bpm despite 30 s of effective assisted ventilation and chest compression circulation. Common or controversial medications (epinephrine, volume expansion, naloxone, bicarbonate), special resuscitation circumstances affecting care of the newly born, continuing care of the newly born after resuscitation, and ethical considerations for initiation and discontinuation of resuscitation are discussed. There was agreement that insufficient data exist to recommend changes to current guidelines regarding the use of 21% versus 100% oxygen, neuroprotective interventions such as cerebral hypothermia, use of a laryngeal mask versus endotracheal tube, and use of high-dose epinephrine. Areas of controversy are identified, as is the need for additional research to improve the scientific justification of each component of current and future resuscitation guidelines.

Paediatric life support. An advisory statement by the Paediatric Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation

This document reflects the deliberations of ILCOR. The epidemiology and outcome of paediatric cardiopulmonary arrest and the priorities, techniques and sequence of paediatric resuscitation assessments and interventions differ from those of adults. The working group identified areas of conflict and controversy in current paediatric basic and advanced life support guidelines, outlined solutions considered and made recommendations by consensus. The working group was surprised by the degree of conformity already existing in current guidelines advocated by the American Heart Association (AHA), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC), and the Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa (RCSA). Differences are currently based upon local and regional preferences, training networks and customs, rather than scientific controversy. Unresolved issues with potential for future universal application are highlighted. This document does not include a complete list of guidelines for which there is no perceived controversy and the algorithm/decision tree figures presented attempt to follow a common flow of assessments and interventions, in coordination with their adult counterparts. Survival following paediatric prehospital cardiopulmonary arrest occurs in only approximately 3-17% and survivors are often neurologically devastated. Most paediatric resuscitation reports have been retrospective in design and plagued with inconsistent resuscitation definitions and patient inclusion criteria. Careful and thoughtful application of uniform guidelines for reporting outcomes of advanced life support interventions using large, randomized, multicenter and multinational clinical trials are clearly needed. Paediatric advisory statements from ILCOR will, by necessity, be vibrant and evolving guidelines fostered by national and international organizations intent on improving the outcome of resuscitation for infants and children worldwide.