Heart rate guidelines for assessing children need updating

Health 16 Mar 11 New reference ranges for children's heart and breathing rates have been produced by Oxford University scientists to help doctors assess these vital signs. The new reference charts, based on an analysis of 69 studies including a total of some 143,000 children, differ widely from existing guidelines in use. The researchers, led by Dr Matthew Thompson of the Department of Primary Health Care, say these existing guidelines should now be updated. For example, the researchers show that one existing set of guidelines classifies half of healthy 10 year-olds as having an abnormal heart rate or respiratory rate. 'Reference ranges are often used in scoring systems, which try to identify children at high risk of serious illness, or who may need urgent treatment or referral,' explains Dr Susannah Fleming of the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Oxford. 'Abnormal heart rate and breathing rate are two important signs which can assist doctors in making a diagnosis of serious illness, such as pneumonia or meningitis.' 'We expect that our reference values will make it easier for doctors to decide on appropriate care for unwell children,' says Dr Fleming. 'Users of existing guidelines will want to take account of these new reference ranges, and we expect that they will be incorporated into the overall recommendations for new and updates guidelines.' The group's new reference plots show a decline in children's breathing rate from birth to early adolescence.