[Is body surface area (BSA) suitable for indexing renal and dialysis clearances and other physiological parameters? A...

Many parameters of biological functions, interesting different branches of medicine, have to be indexed by the same value for each other comparison between single individuals or between-within groups. Body Surface Area (BSA) and 1.73 m2 reference value are probably the most used tools for indexation, but a growing number of scientific papers emphasize the risk of under or over estimates of data by BSA indexation in overweight--obese or on the contrary underweight individuals. This study has been planned to evaluate this problem: a) by a theoretical approach, indexing to 1.73 m2 the creatinine clearance (CtCl) in an ideal population and b) analysing and debating the doubts and problems about the indexation by BSA in many fields, the possibilities of indexation by other methods, or to use BSA with different approach, to reduce the risk of bias, evaluating the possibility of this target in a real population of 45 men and 84 women undergoing Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). The effects of indexing 1.73 m2, according different weights on the CtCl of the ideal population and on the values of BSA estimation according different formulae. Results, methods, and the problems due to abnormal fluctuation of weight compared to normal range of standard value according height are analyzed and discussed.