1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It's important for determining medication dosages, medical assessments, and physiological measurements.

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 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 used to calculate drug dosages for chemotherapy, glucocorticoids, and other medications where dose depends on body size.

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 alone?
A: BSA accounts for both height and weight, providing a better estimate of metabolic mass than weight alone.

Q2: What's the average BSA for adults?
A: The 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 Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George, but Mosteller is most commonly used.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The Mosteller formula is accurate to within 1-2% of more complex calculations.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator uses metric units. Convert pounds to kg (1 lb = 0.4536 kg) and inches to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm).