1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Body Surface Area (BSA) is a measurement of the total surface area of the human body. It's commonly used in medical practice to calculate drug dosages and medical indicators, especially for burn patients.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

• \( W \) — Weight in kilograms (kg)
• \( H \) — Height in centimeters (cm)

Explanation: The Mosteller formula provides a simple yet accurate way to estimate body surface area from height and weight measurements.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is crucial for determining burn severity (using the "rule of nines"), calculating chemotherapy drug dosages, and adjusting various medical treatments to individual patient size.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both values must be positive numbers for accurate calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use Mosteller formula instead of others?
A: The Mosteller formula is widely accepted as it's simple to calculate and has been validated against more complex methods.

Q2: What are normal 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 is BSA most important?
A: BSA is particularly important for burn assessment, chemotherapy dosing, and pediatric medication calculations.

Q4: Are there limitations to this calculation?
A: The formula may be less accurate for extremely obese or very muscular individuals.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator requires metric units (kg and cm) for the Mosteller formula. Convert pounds to kg (1 lb = 0.453592 kg) and inches to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm) first.