APPENDIX M

West Nomogram-Body Surface Area

NOMOGRAM

Height SA Weight
For children of 2
cm in./m normal height m lb kg
for weight
180 80
90 1.30 160 70
80 1.20 2.0 140
240 70 1.10 1.9 130 60
90 1.8 120
220 60 1.00 1.7 110 50
85 1.6 100
200 80 0.90 1.5 90
50 1.4 40
190 75 80
180 70 0.80 1.3
40 1.2 70
170 1.1 30
65 0.70 60
160
60 1.0 25
150 30 0.60 50
0.9
140 55 0.55 45 20
0.8 40
Surface area (square meters)
130 50 0.50
0.7 35
120 20 0.45 15
45 30
110 0.40 0.6
Weight (lb)

25
100 40 15 0.35 0.5 10
20 9.0
90 35 18
0.30 8.0
16
0.4 7.0
80 10 14
30 9 6.0
0.25 12
70 28 8 5.0
26 0.3 10
7
24 9 4.0
60 6 0.20 8
22 7
5 3.0
20 0.2 6
50 2.5
19
4 0.15 5
18
17 2.0
4
40 16 3
15 1.5
3
14
13 0.10
2 0.1
1.0
30 12

Note: Nomogram modified from data of E. Boyd by C.D. West; from Behrman,
R.E., Kliegman, R.M., & Jenson, H.B. (eds.). (2000). Nelson textbook of pedi-
atrics (16th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

1476
 NOMOGRAM

Height SA Weight
For children of
cm in. normal height m2 lb kg
for weight
180 80
90 1.30 160 70
80 1.20 2.0 140
240 70 1.10 1.9 130 60
90 1.8 120
220 60 1.00 1.7 110 50
85 1.6 100
200 80 0.90 1.5 90
50 1.4 40
190 75 80
180 70 0.80 1.3
40 1.2 70
170 1.1 30
65 0.70 60
160
60 1.0 25
150 30 0.60 50
0.9
140 55 0.55 45 20
0.8 40

Surface area (square meters)

130 50 0.50
0.7 35
120 20 0.45 15
45 30
110 0.40 0.6
Weight (lb) 25
100 40 15 0.35 0.5 10
20 9.0
90 35 18
0.30 8.0
16
0.4 7.0
80 10 14
30 9 6.0
0.25 12
70 28 8 5.0
26 0.3 10
7
24 9 4.0
60 6 0.20 8
22 7
5 3.0
20 0.2 6
50 2.5
19
4 0.15 5
18
17 2.0
4
40 16 3
15 1.5
3
14
13 0.10
2 0.1
1.0
30 12

Pediatric doses of medications are generally based on body surface area (BSA) or
weight. To calculate a child’s BSA, draw a straight line from the height (in the left-
hand column) to the weight (in the right-hand column). The point at which the line
intersects the surface area (SA) column is the BSA (measured in square meters
[m2]). If the child is of roughly normal proportion, BSA can be calculated from the
weight alone (in the enclosed area).

APPENDIX M • West Nomogram-Body Surface Area 1477