1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It provides a more accurate metric than body weight alone for determining medication dosages, chemotherapy regimens, and other 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: Accurate BSA calculation is crucial for proper drug dosing, especially for medications with narrow therapeutic windows like chemotherapy.

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 body weight for dosing?
A: BSA correlates better with metabolic processes and drug distribution than weight alone, especially for medications that affect the whole body.

Q2: What are other BSA calculation methods?
A: Other formulas include Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George, but Mosteller is most common due to its simplicity and accuracy.

Q3: When is BSA particularly important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy, pediatric dosing, and medications with serious side effects where precise dosing is crucial.

Q4: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's accurate within 1-2% of more complex formulas and is widely accepted in clinical practice.

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