The following is a summary of “Accuracy of total body weight estimation in adults – A systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the February 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Wells, et al.
In adult emergency care, estimating weight is often necessary for administering weight-based medications, as direct measurement is often impractical. However, inaccurate estimations can lead to incorrect drug dosing and potential harm to patients. Little was known about the comparative accuracy of different weight estimation methods in emergency settings. For a study, researchers sought to assess the performance and suitability of existing weight estimation methods for adult emergency care.
A systematic literature search was conducted to identify articles assessing the accuracy of weight estimation methods in adults. Data on study characteristics, method quality, evaluated estimation methods, accuracy (the percentage of estimates within 10% of true weight, with 95% confidence intervals), and ease of use were extracted and evaluated.
About 95 studies were included, evaluating 27 different total body weight estimation methods, with 42 studies included in the meta-analysis. The most accurate methods were 3-D camera estimates (88.8%), patient self-estimates (88.7%), the Lorenz method (77.5%), and family estimates (75.0%). However, each method had potential limitations for use in emergency care.
Patient self-estimations of weight were found to be highly accurate and should be the preferred method during emergency care when feasible. However, alternative estimation methods must be available for patients who cannot provide an estimate due to confusion or incapacitation. Therefore, alternative strategies for weight estimation should also be accessible during emergencies.
Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675723006514
