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 measurement than body weight alone for determining proper medication dosages and other medical parameters.

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 dosing of chemotherapy drugs, antimicrobial agents, and other medications where body size affects pharmacokinetics.

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 estimate 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 widely validated.

Q3: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's accurate to within 1-2% of more complex formulas and is the recommended method by many organizations.

Q4: When is BSA most important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy, pediatric dosing, and drugs with narrow therapeutic windows.

Q5: What's a normal BSA range?
A: Average is 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women, but varies with body size.