1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Definition: BSA is the measured or calculated surface area of the human body, used in medical calculations.

Purpose: It's used to calculate drug dosages, medical indicators, and for various clinical assessments.

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 get BSA in m².

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA provides a more accurate measure than body weight alone for determining medication dosages, chemotherapy drugs, and other medical treatments.

4. Using the Calculator

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

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight alone?
A: BSA accounts for both height and weight, providing a better indicator of metabolic mass than weight alone.

Q2: What's the Mosteller formula?
A: A simple and widely used BSA calculation method that's been validated against more complex methods.

Q3: When is BSA used in medicine?
A: For chemotherapy dosing, cardiac index calculations, and other medications where dosage depends on body size.

Q4: How accurate is this calculator?
A: It provides a good estimate for most adults and children, though individual variations exist.

Q5: Are there other BSA formulas?
A: Yes, including DuBois, Haycock, and Gehan-George formulas, but Mosteller is most common in clinical practice.