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Ideal body weight (IBW) is estimated by the following equations [1]: Males: IBW (kg) = 50 kg + 2.3 kg for each inch over 5 feet. Females: IBW (kg) = 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg for each inch over 5 feet. IBW may be useful for calculating an initial dose of certain medications distributed primarily to non-adipose tissues, such as penicillins, cephalosporins, digoxin, rocuronium, vecuronium, and aminoglycosides (use IBW if overweight, but non-obese) [2,3].

Dosing Weight is calculated using the formula [3]: Dosing Weight = Ideal Body Weight + (0.4 * (Actual Weight - Ideal Body Weight)). Dosing Weight (DW) is a calculated weight that accounts for the increased distribution of certain drugs to non-lean body tissues in obesity. It is only applicable for patients whose Actual Body Weight is greater than or equal to 125 percent of Ideal Body Weight. This calculator reports N/A when Dosing Weight is not applicable. Separate calculators are available for estimating lean (non-adipose) body weight in adult males and lean body weight in females.

References Devine BJ. Gentamicin therapy. Drug Intell Clin Pharm . 1974; 8:650-5. Hanley MJ, Abernethy DR, Greenblatt DJ. Effects of obesity on the pharmacokinetics of drugs in humans. Clin Pharmacokinet . 2010; 49:71-87. Erstad BL. Dosing of medications in morbidly obese patients in the intensive care unit setting. Intensive Care Med . 2004; 30:18-32. Use of UpToDate is subject to the Subscription and License Agreement . Information on this page may not appear correctly if printed. Legal Notices and Disclaimer All information contained in and produced by the MedCalc 3000 system is provided for educational purposes only. This information should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or disease. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE CLINICAL JUDGMENT OR GUIDE INDIVIDUAL PATIENT CARE IN ANY MANNER. Click here for full notice and disclaimer. MedCalc 3000 is Copyright © 1998-2013 Foundation Internet Services