The reliability of wearable photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors to measure heart rate (HR) in hospitalized patients has only been demonstrated in adults. We evaluated the accuracy of HR monitoring with a personal fitness tracker (PFT) in children undergoing surgery. HR monitoring was performed using a wrist-worn PFT (Fitbit Charge HR) in 30 children (8.21 ± 3.09 years) undergoing laparoscopy (n = 8) or open surgery (n = 22). HR values were analyzed preoperatively and during surgery. The accuracy of HR recordings was compared with measurements recorded during continuous electrocardiographic (cECG) monitoring; HRs derived from continuous monitoring with pulse oximetry (SpO2R) were used as a positive control. PFT-derived HR values were in agreement with those recorded during cECG (r = 0.99) and SpO2R (r = 0.99) monitoring. PFT performance remained high in children < 8 years (r = 0.99), with a weight < 30 kg (r = 0.99) and when the HR was < 70 beats per minute (bpm) (r = 0.91) or > 140 bpm (r = 0.99). PFT accuracy was similar during laparoscopy and open surgery, as well as preoperatively and during the intervention (r > 0.9). PFT-derived HR showed excellent accuracy compared with HRs measured by cECG and SpO2R during pediatric surgical procedures. Further clinical evaluation is needed to define whether PFTs can be used in different health care settings.
Keywords: children; heart rate; pediatric surgery; personal fitness tracker.