1. What is a BSA Calculator?

Definition: This calculator estimates body surface area (BSA) using the Mosteller formula for accurate medication dosing.

Purpose: It helps healthcare professionals determine appropriate drug dosages based on a patient's body surface area rather than just weight.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

• \( BSA \) — Body Surface Area (square meters)
• \( W \) — Weight (kilograms)
• \( H \) — Height (centimeters)

Explanation: The product of weight and height is divided by 3600, then the square root is taken to calculate BSA.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA provides a more accurate measure of metabolic mass than body weight alone, especially important for chemotherapy, pediatric dosing, and other critical medications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. All values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight for dosing?
A: BSA correlates better with metabolic processes and drug distribution than weight alone, especially for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows.

Q2: What's the Mosteller formula?
A: A simple, validated method for BSA calculation that's widely used in clinical practice: √(weight × height / 3600).

Q3: When is BSA dosing most important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy, pediatric dosing, and medications where toxicity is a major concern.

Q4: How accurate is this calculator?
A: It provides estimates within 1-2% of more complex methods when using accurate measurements.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: No, this calculator requires metric units (kg and cm) for accurate results with the Mosteller formula.