Using the APLS formula, 45.6% of children were within 10% of actual measured weights, whereas 42.3% of children were within 10% of actual weights using the Luscombe and Owens formula. Using the derived formula, 47.5% of children would have had estimated weights within 10% of their actual weights. After Chi squared testing, these differences were not found to be statistically significant. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Discussion The APLS formula to calculate weight in children is a commonly used method, especially for critically ill children in whom it is impractical or unsafe to acquire weight on a scale. During resuscitation of children, weight is used to

guide drug dosages, intravenous Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (IV) fluid boluses, equipment size, defibrillation and cardioversion dosages. As described

in the introduction, there are a number of methods used to estimate weight in children [3-9]. However, At the Eric Williams Medical selleck chemicals Sciences Complex, the most commonly used method is the APLS formula. It has been shown by several studies that the original APLS Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical formula underestimates weight, however all of these studies have been performed on non-Caribbean populations [3-7]. In 2007, Luscombe and Owens examined data from over 17000 children and found that the APLS formula was found to have underestimated weight by a mean of 18.8% [3]. Several subsequent studies in Australia and the United Kingdom also demonstrated the tendency for the APLS formula to underestimate weight in children in developed countries [4-6,9]. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical This included a review of 93827 children over a 5year period from 2003 to 2008 by Luscombe et al. [10]. In light of this, the most Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical recent edition of the APLS manual recommends the use of the Luscombe and Owens formula in children aged 6 – 12years old, with retention of the original

APLS formula for those aged 1 – 5years. In India, however, Varghese et al. examined 500 outpatient children and found the APLS formula to overestimate weight in their population by a mean of 2–3kg [7]. In addition, a 2010 study click here of the accuracy of various weight estimation methods in South African children concluded that the APLS formula and Broselow tape were more accurate than the Luscombe and Owens formula over all age groups in this population [11]. The Broselow tape was designed for use in children from 45cm to 145cm in length [5]. Although it has been validated in several studies as a reliable tool for estimating weight [5,7,11-13], it is not commonly used in Trinidad. One of the largest studies of the Broselow tape was performed by Lubitz et al. in the United States of America [1]; out of 937 patients it was found that 79% of patients had estimated weights using the Broselow tape which were within 15% of their actual weights. Krieser et al.