1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It provides a more accurate measurement 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:

• \( BSA \) — 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 used to calculate dosages for chemotherapy, antimicrobial therapy, and other medications where body size affects drug distribution.

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 better correlates with metabolic processes and drug distribution throughout the body 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 accepted.

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

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

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator requires kg and cm. Convert pounds to kg (1 lb = 0.4536 kg) and inches to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm).