1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It provides a more accurate measure than body weight alone for determining appropriate drug dosages and medical treatments.

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 used for chemotherapy dosing, calculating cardiac index, renal clearance, and other medical parameters where body size affects outcomes.

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 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 DuBois, Haycock, and Gehan-George, but Mosteller is widely used for its simplicity and accuracy.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The Mosteller formula is within 1-2% of more complex formulas and is clinically acceptable for most purposes.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator requires metric units. Convert pounds to kg (1 lb = 0.453592 kg) and inches to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm) first.