1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It provides a more accurate metric than body weight alone for determining medication dosages, especially for chemotherapy, pediatric medicine, and other critical 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 the square root of the product of weight and height divided by 3600, providing an estimate of body surface area.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: Accurate BSA calculation is crucial for proper medication dosing, assessing metabolic mass, and determining treatment parameters in various medical fields.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both values must be greater than 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight alone?
A: BSA accounts for both height and weight, providing a more accurate representation of metabolic mass than weight alone.

Q2: What are other BSA formulas?
A: Other formulas include DuBois & DuBois, Haycock, and Boyd, but Mosteller is widely used for its simplicity and accuracy.

Q3: When is BSA most important?
A: Particularly critical for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric medicine, and treatments with narrow therapeutic windows.

Q4: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's approximately as accurate as more complex formulas and is recommended for clinical use due to its simplicity.

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