Simple method for assessing standing height using recumbent length in bedridden patients using soft and firm mattresses

@# Introduction: The accurate measurement of the height of bedridden patients is difficult. Height assessment is required for the calculation of body mass index, which is crucial for determining the nutrition status of a patient. This study aimed to validate recumbent length measurement against the standing height measurement using soft and firm mattresses and to derive predictive equations to calculate the actual height of bedridden patients on mattresses with different firmness. Methods: Ninety-nine hospitalised participants (mean age 48.9±13.9 years; range 21–80 years) (49 men, 50 women) and 100 healthy participants (mean age 36.8±13.6 years; range 21–77 years) (50 men, 50 women) were recruited. Standing height was measured using a stadiometer. Recumbent length was measured using a 2 metre long measuring tape. Hospitalised participants lay on soft mattress and healthy participants on firm mattress. Results: Using Bland–Altman plot, 96% of hospitalised participants using soft mattress were within 2.5±2.7 cm (mean±2SD) whereas 97% of healthy participants using firm mattress were within 2.1±2.1 cm. The regression equation developed using firm mattress was Standing height (cm) = 0.993 x Recumbent length – 0.943; (r2=0.982). The regression equation developed using soft mattress was Standing height (cm) = 1.012 x Recumbent length – 4.477; (r2=0.981). Conclusion: We concluded that recumbent length is a valid clinical tool to estimate standing height. Standing height can be estimated from the predictive equations developed for patients lying on soft or firm mattresses.

Study on reliability of children anthropometric indicators measured by medical students during clinical practice / 重庆医学

Objective To evaluate the reliability of children anthropometric indicators measured by medical students in clini-cal practice .Methods The convenient sampling was adopted to collect the data of the head circumference (HC) ,recumbent length (RL) and crown-rump length (CRL) of infants and young children measured by the students in clinical practice from entering-de-partment training to exiting-department .The re-measured data by clinical teachers were simultaneously collected .The measurement difference were compared between the students and clinical teachers .The measurements reliability was described by using the indi-cators such as the mean absolute differences (MAD) ,percentages of difference within a critical value (PDCV) and so on .Results MAD of HC ,RL and CRL at entering-department were 0 .46 ,0 .55 ,0 .81 cm respectively ,which at exiting-department were 0 .30 , 0 .43 ,0 .51 cm respectively ,the difference were statistically significant (P<0 .05) .PDCV of HC ,RL and CRL belonging to good quality standard at entering-department were 41 .5% ,58 .0% and 36 .0% respectively ,which at exiting-department were increased to 53 .5% ,70 .0% and 59 .0% respectively .PDCV of HC ,RL and CRL belonging to error data were 19 .0% ,10 .0% and 13 .0% re-spectively .Conclusion RL measured by medical students in clinical practice has good quality ,while the bigger errors exist in the measurement values of HC and CRL .