1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Body Surface Area (BSA) is the measured or calculated surface area of the human body. It's an important measurement in medicine, particularly for calculating drug dosages and medical indicators. The Haycock formula is one of several methods to estimate BSA.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Haycock formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The formula provides a more accurate estimation of BSA across all ages and body sizes compared to some other formulas.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is used to calculate medical parameters like cardiac index, chemotherapy dosages, and glomerular filtration rate. It's more accurate than body weight alone for these purposes.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. All values must be valid (weight > 0, height > 0). For best accuracy, measurements should be recent.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use Haycock formula instead of Du Bois?
A: The Haycock formula has been shown to be more accurate across all ages and body sizes, especially in pediatric populations.

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 height and weight.

Q3: When is BSA most important?
A: BSA is particularly important for chemotherapy dosing, burn assessment, and pediatric medicine where weight alone may not be the best indicator.

Q4: Are there limitations to this formula?
A: Like all BSA formulas, it's an estimation. Extremely muscular or obese individuals may have different actual surface areas.

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