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 other clinical calculations.

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

2. How Does the Mosteller Formula Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

• \( \text{BSA} \) — 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.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is crucial for accurate medication dosing (especially chemotherapy), fluid requirements, and other medical calculations where body size matters.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. All values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use Mosteller formula instead of others?
A: The Mosteller formula is widely accepted, simple to calculate, and has been validated in numerous studies.

Q2: What's a typical BSA range for adults?
A: Average BSA is about 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women, but varies with body size.

Q3: When is BSA used in medicine?
A: Commonly used for chemotherapy dosing, cardiac index calculations, and pediatric medication dosing.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The Mosteller formula is accurate for most clinical purposes (±5%), but may be less accurate for extreme body types.

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.