RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Comparison of infant heart rate assessment by auscultation, ECG and oximetry in the delivery room
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
JO Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP F490
OP F492
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2017-314367
VO 103
IS 5
A1 Madeleine C Murphy
A1 Laura De Angelis
A1 Lisa K McCarthy
A1 Colm Patrick Finbarr O’Donnell
YR 2018
UL http://fn.bmj.com/content/103/5/F490.abstract
AB Clinical assessment of an infant’s heart rate (HR) in the delivery room (DR) has been reported to be inaccurate. We compared auscultation of the HR using a stethoscope with electrocardiography (ECG) and pulse oximetry (PO) for determining the HR in 92 low-risk newborn infants in the DR. Caregivers auscultated the HR while masked to the HR on the monitor. Auscultation underestimated ECG HR (mean difference (95% CI) by −9 (−15 to –2) beats per minute (bpm)) and PO HR (mean difference (95% CI) by −5 (−12 to 2) bpm). The median (IQR) time to HR by auscultation was 14 (10–18) s. As HR was determined quickly and with reasonable accuracy by auscultation in low-risk newborns, study in high-risk infants is warranted.