Abstract
Objective: to determine sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of tachypnoea, tachycardia and chest retraction as signs of hypoxaemia in children under 5 years with acute respiratory disease.
Methods: previously healthy children between 1 month and 5 years, hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infection or asthma were studied prospectively. Hypoxaemia was defined as a hemoglobin oxygen saturation < 95% measured by pulse oximetry. Respiratory and cardiac rate and chest retractions were simultaneously recorded. The calculated sample size was 96 hypoxaemic and 120 non-hypoxaemic children.
Results: for tachypnoea, tachycardia and chest retractions, sensitivity was 64%, 66% and 59% respectively, specificity 56%, 42% and 63%, PPV 54%, 48% and 56%, NPV 66%, 61% and 66%, LR+ 1.4, 1.1 and 1.6.
Conclusions: tachypnoea, tachycardia and retractions are not good predictors of hypoxaemia in these children.
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