Presently, there is no consensus on the best method to measure height in a critically ill patient.
Several other methods using demi-span, arm span, half-arm span and knee length have been described in the literature.
Another method used a formula incorporating forearm length to estimate the height. The Chumlea method uses a length of the lower leg to calculate the height of the patient. However, studies have shown that such visual estimations are often inaccurate and therefore, alternative methods have been recommended and practiced. Therefore, visual estimations of patients’ heights were popularly used. With the patients in the supine position and many times attached to several lines and tubes, obtaining an accurate height is almost impossible. However, accurate height is not easy to measure in the critical care setting. Height is a required measurement for calculating this parameter. Obesity which is determined by body mass index is an important predictor of mortality in the critically ill patient. Several important decisions in the treatment of critically ill patients such as tidal volume settings, drug dosing, and calculation of nutritional goals rely on accurate measurement of height. Height measurement is an essential component of the assessment of the critically ill patient.
