LACK OF SCIENTIFIC VALIDITY OF BODY SURFACE AS BASIS FOR PARENTERAL FLUID DOSAGE

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Abstract
The customary procedure of using height and weight to calculate the assumed surface area of the body, and then using the result to calculate various metabolic needs of the body, is based on confused logic and inadequate observation. A simple rule of thumb based on weight alone is here shown to be sufficiently accurate, especially since temporary adjustments are dictated by clinical judgment in correcting such conditions as initial dehydration. The rule for infants less than one year of age calls for 60 ± 15 ml. of water per pound (132 ± 33 ml. per kilogram); for children from 1 to 5 years, 50 ± 15 ml. per pound (110 ± 33 ml. per kilogram); for children above 5 years, approximately 40 ± 15 ml. per pound (88 ± 33 ml. per kilogram).

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