Diagnostic accuracy of tachypnoea for predicting mortality and identifying sepsis in young infants aged 0–59 days: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Summary - MDSpire
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Evaluating the Diagnostic Precision of Tachypnoea in Forecasting Mortality and Detecting Sepsis in Infants Aged 0–59 Days: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • By

  • Suci Ardini Widyaningsih

  • Sophie Driker

  • Alastair Fung

  • Naomi Schmeck

  • Sitarah Mathias

  • Megan Yu

  • Yasir Shafiq

  • Amber Hoey

  • Tessa Kehoe

  • Yumin Kim

  • Jana Adnan

  • Anum S Hussaini

  • Carrie G Wade

  • Anne CC Lee

  • July 2, 2026

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Objective:

To systematically review evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of different tachypnoea thresholds for predicting mortality and sepsis in infants aged 0–59 days.

Approach:
  • Study Selection: Searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Global Index Medicus, and CENTRAL for studies reporting associations or diagnostic accuracy of tachypnoea (≥60, ≥70 or ≥80 bpm) for predicting mortality and culture-confirmed sepsis.
  • Data Analysis: Pooled ORs using random-effects models and sensitivity/specificity using random-effects bivariate models; assessed certainty of evidence using GRADE.
Key Findings:
  • Tachypnoea≥60 bpm had a pooled OR of 3.14 (95% CI 1.30 to 7.56; 5 studies; n=10,407) for predicting mortality.
  • Sensitivity of tachypnoea≥60 bpm for mortality was 31% (95% CI 19% to 45%) and specificity was 89% (95% CI 66% to 97%; 4 studies; n=7104).
  • For culture-confirmed sepsis, tachypnoea≥60 bpm had an OR of 1.26 (95% CI 0.66 to 2.38; 4 studies; n=3996), sensitivity of 28% (95% CI 10% to 58%), and specificity of 67% (95% CI 53% to 78%; 3 studies; n=693).
  • Tachypnoea≥70 bpm was associated with an OR of 10.06 (95% CI 2.39 to 42.35; 2 studies; n=12,138) for mortality but had lower sensitivity (10.9% (95% CI 5.3% to 19.1%)).
Interpretation:

Tachypnoea≥60 bpm is associated with increased odds of mortality in young infants, but its low sensitivity suggests it should be used alongside other clinical signs.

Limitations:
  • Data were insufficient to assess performance by age subgroup (0–6 vs 7–59 days).
  • The certainty of evidence was very low.
Conclusion:

Tachypnoea remains an important sign for predicting mortality and identifying sepsis in young infants, but should not be used in isolation.

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