Analysis of past and present methods of measuring and estimating body surface area and the resulting evaluation of its doubtful suitability to universal application.
Body surface area (BSA) is probably the most used tool for indexing physiological functions. The most relevant past and present measuring methods have been examined, and an analysis of selected methods used to measure and to estimate was performed. The evaluation of methods demonstrates a relationship between past and present measuring methods, but also highlights the doubtfulness of their suitability due to the criteria used to select the population for measurements and to estimate BSA by formulae, due to the weight variance according to the same height and the lack of a numeric estimate of the body shape. The use of BSA formulae generated from a population with anthropometric measures different from those of a population where the formulae are applied, and the change in today's BSA towards 1.73 m(2) can induce risks by incorrectly estimating GFR and in planning dialysis prescriptions.
Centro di Nefrologia e Dialisi, Ospedale San Giacomo, Rome, Italy. giancarlo.ruggieri@mclink.net
Giancarlo
G
Ruggieri
Anna Rachele
AR
Rocca
D000886:Anthropometry / Q000266:history; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001830:Body Surface Area; D001835:Body Weight; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000592:standards; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000592:standards