1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Definition: Body Surface Area is the total surface area of the human body, often used in medical calculations for drug dosages and clinical assessments.

Purpose: BSA provides a more accurate measurement than body weight alone for many medical purposes, particularly in pediatric and chemotherapy dosing.

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 Mosteller formula is widely used because of its simplicity and reasonable accuracy for both children and adults.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is crucial for determining proper medication dosages, chemotherapy regimens, fluid requirements, and for assessing burn victims.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both 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 medications with narrow therapeutic windows.

Q2: What's the accuracy of the Mosteller formula?
A: It's accurate to within 1-5% for most individuals, though it may slightly overestimate BSA in obese patients.

Q3: Are there other BSA formulas?
A: Yes, including Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George formulas, but Mosteller is most common in clinical practice.

Q4: When is BSA particularly important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy, pediatric dosing, and when calculating index parameters like cardiac index.

Q5: What's a normal BSA range?
A: Average is about 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women, varying with body size.