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 measurement than body weight alone for determining metabolic mass and drug dosages.

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 product of weight and height is divided by 3600, then the square root is taken to calculate the body surface area.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is used in chemotherapy dosing, calculating cardiac index, burn assessment, and many other medical applications where body size matters.

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 for dosing?
A: BSA better correlates with metabolic processes and drug distribution than weight alone.

Q2: What's the average BSA for adults?
A: Average is about 1.7 m² for men and 1.6 m² for women, but varies significantly by size.

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

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: It's clinically validated but may need adjustment for extreme body types or pediatric patients.

Q5: When is BSA not appropriate for dosing?
A: For drugs primarily distributed in fat or when dosing is based on therapeutic drug monitoring.