Ideal Body Weight and Adjusted Body Weight
Why Use
While many medications are weight-based, often they are recommended to be dosed on ideal body weight.
When to Use
This formula is only an approximation, and is generally only applicable for people ≥60 inches (5 feet) tall. For patients under 5 feet, one commonly-used modification is to subtract 2-5 lbs for each inch below 60 inches (written communication with leading expert Dr. Manjunath Pai, 2018).
Formula
Pearls / Pitfalls
There are multiple ideal body weight formulas that have been developed; they all have different caveats and problems. Your hospital may use a slightly different formula based on its local population. Ideal body weight is the standard weight measurement in many clinical calculations, such as tidal volume .
Advice
Confirm medication dosing with pharmacy: some medication dosing uses ideal body weight while others use actual body weight.