1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It helps healthcare professionals determine appropriate drug dosages, especially for chemotherapy, pediatric medications, and other treatments where body size matters.

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: Accurate BSA calculation is crucial for proper medication dosing, nutritional assessment, and determining treatment parameters in various medical specialties.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both values must be greater than 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of body weight for dosing?
A: BSA better correlates with metabolic processes and drug distribution than weight alone, especially for medications that don't distribute evenly in body fat.

Q2: What's the average BSA for adults?
A: Average BSA is about 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women.

Q3: Are there other BSA formulas?
A: Yes, other formulas include DuBois & DuBois, Haycock, and Boyd, but Mosteller is widely used for its simplicity and accuracy.

Q4: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's accurate within 1-2% of more complex formulas and is the recommended method by many medical organizations.

Q5: When is BSA particularly important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric medications, burn assessment, and determining cardiac indices.