1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Body Surface Area (BSA) is the measured or calculated surface area of the human body. It's used in many medical contexts including chemotherapy dosing, fluid requirements, and clinical measurements.

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 is one of the simplest and most commonly used methods for BSA calculation, providing a good balance between simplicity and accuracy.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is used to calculate drug dosages for chemotherapy, to determine cardiac index, and to assess metabolic mass where body weight alone would be less accurate.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both values must be positive numbers. For best accuracy, measure height without shoes and weight with minimal clothing.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use Mosteller formula instead of others?
A: The Mosteller formula is simple, easy to calculate, and has been validated against more complex methods. It's widely accepted in clinical practice.

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 with body size.

Q3: When is BSA most important?
A: BSA is particularly important for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric dosing, and burn assessment.

Q4: Are there limitations to BSA calculations?
A: BSA doesn't account for body composition differences (muscle vs fat) and may be less accurate for very muscular or obese individuals.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator uses metric units. For imperial units, convert weight to kg (1 lb = 0.453592 kg) and height to cm (1 inch = 2.54 cm).