1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Definition: BSA is the calculated surface area of the human body, often used in medical practice to calculate drug dosages and medical indicators.

Purpose: It provides a more accurate metric than body weight alone for determining proper medication dosages and physiological measurements.

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 crucial for accurate medication dosing (chemotherapy, antibiotics), fluid requirements, and parameters like cardiac index.

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

Q2: What are other BSA formulas?
A: Other formulas include Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George, but Mosteller is simplest and most commonly used.

Q3: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's accurate for most clinical purposes and is the recommended formula by many medical organizations.

Q4: When is BSA particularly important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric medicine, and burn cases where surface area affects treatment.

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.