The Accuracy of Broselow Tape Weight Estimate among Pediatric Population

Objective. To determine the accuracy of the Broselow Tape (BT) versions 2007 and 2011 in estimating weight among pediatric population. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Fahad Medical City and six schools across Riyadh province on 1-143-month-old children. BT 2007 and 2011 estimated weights were recorded. Both tapes via the child's height produce an estimated weight, which was compared with the actual weight. Results. A total of 3537 children were recruited. The height (cm) of the subjects was 97.7 ± 24.1 and the actual weight (kg) was 16.07 ± 8.9, whereas the estimated weight determined by BT 2007 was 15.87 ± 7.56 and by BT 2011 was 16.38 ± 7.95. Across all the five age groups, correlation between actual weight and BT 2007 ranged between 0.702 and 0.788, while correlation between actual weight and BT 2011 ranged between 0.698 and 0.788. Correlation between BT 2007 and BT 2011 across all the five age groups ranged from 0.979 to 0.989. Accuracy of both the tape versions was adversely affected when age was >95 months and body weight was >26 kilograms. Conclusions. Our study showed that BT 2007 and 2011 provided accurate estimation of the body weight based on measured body height. However, 2011 version provided more precise estimate for weight.