1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Definition: BSA is the calculated surface area of a human body, often used in medical practice for drug dosing and physiological measurements.

Purpose: It provides a more accurate measure than body weight alone for determining medication dosages, chemotherapy regimens, and other medical calculations.

2. How Does the Mosteller Formula Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The formula calculates BSA by taking the square root of the product of weight and height divided by 3600.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is crucial in medical fields for accurate drug dosing, especially for medications with narrow therapeutic windows like chemotherapy, pediatric doses, and critical care medications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both values must be > 0 for accurate calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight for dosing?
A: BSA correlates better with metabolic processes and organ size than weight alone, leading to more accurate dosing.

Q2: What are other BSA formulas?
A: Other formulas include Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George, but Mosteller is simplest and widely accepted.

Q3: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's accurate for most clinical purposes and is the recommended formula by many medical organizations.

Q4: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator uses kg and cm. Convert pounds to kg (1 lb = 0.453592 kg) and inches to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm).

Q5: When is BSA not appropriate for dosing?
A: For obese patients or medications that distribute differently in adipose tissue, alternative dosing methods may be needed.