Resumen

GUTIERREZ R., Stella; COMPIAN, Susana; MARINO, Carolina  y  FERRARI C., Ana María. Relation between clinical signs and hypoxaemia in children under 5 years with acute respiratory disease. Rev. chil. pediatr. [online]. 2001, vol.72, n.5, pp. 425-429. ISSN 0370-4106.  doi: 10.4067/S0370-41062001000500005.

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

Palabras clave : hypoxaemia; pulse oximetry; clinical signs; acute lower respiratory tract disease.