1. What is the Mosteller BSA Formula?

The Mosteller formula is a simple and widely used method for calculating body surface area (BSA). It's commonly used in chemotherapy dosing and other medical applications where body surface area is important for medication calculations.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

• \( W \) — Weight in kilograms (kg)
• \( H \) — Height in centimeters (cm)
• \( BSA \) — Body surface area in square meters (m²)

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, calculating cardiac index, and determining appropriate drug dosages for medications with narrow therapeutic windows.

4. Using the Calculator

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

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use Mosteller formula instead of others?
A: The Mosteller formula is simple, validated, and widely accepted in clinical practice, especially for chemotherapy dosing.

Q2: What are typical BSA values?
A: Average BSA is about 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women, but varies significantly with body size.

Q3: When should BSA be used for dosing?
A: BSA-based dosing is primarily used for chemotherapy drugs, some antimicrobials, and other medications with narrow therapeutic indices.

Q4: Are there limitations to BSA dosing?
A: BSA may not account for body composition differences (muscle vs fat) and may not be ideal for obese or pediatric patients.

Q5: Should BSA be rounded for dosing?
A: Typically BSA is rounded to 2 decimal places for chemotherapy dosing, but follow institutional protocols.