1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

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

Purpose: It provides a more accurate measure than body weight alone for determining drug dosages, especially for chemotherapy, antimicrobials, and other critical medications.

2. How Does the BSA Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

• \( \text{BSA} \) — Body Surface Area (square meters)
• \( H \) — Height in centimeters
• \( W \) — Weight in kilograms

Explanation: The formula calculates the square root of the product of height and weight divided by 3600.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is crucial for accurate medication dosing, particularly for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows, and for assessing metabolic mass.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter height in centimeters and weight in kilograms. Both values must be greater than zero for calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of body weight?
A: BSA correlates better with metabolic processes and drug clearance than body weight alone.

Q2: What's the average BSA for adults?
A: Average BSA is about 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women.

Q3: Are there other BSA formulas?
A: Yes, including Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George formulas, but Mosteller is most commonly used.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The Mosteller formula is accurate to within 1-2% of measured BSA in most cases.

Q5: When is BSA particularly important?
A: Critical for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric medicine, and burn assessment.