1. What is the Mosteller Formula?

The Mosteller formula is a simple and widely used method to estimate body surface area (BSA) from a person's height and weight. It's commonly used in medical practice for calculating drug dosages and medical indicators.

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 the square root of the product of weight and height divided by 3600, providing a simple yet accurate estimation of body surface area.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is used in many medical applications including chemotherapy dosing, calculating cardiac index, and determining renal clearance. It provides a better indicator of metabolic mass than body weight alone.

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 to calculate and has been shown to be as accurate as more complex formulas in most clinical situations.

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

Q3: When is BSA most important?
A: BSA is particularly important for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric dosing, and when calculating certain physiological parameters like cardiac index.

Q4: Are there limitations to this formula?
A: Like all BSA formulas, it may be less accurate for extremely obese or very thin individuals.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator uses metric units (kg and cm). For imperial units, convert weight to kg (1 lb = 0.4536 kg) and height to cm (1 inch = 2.54 cm) first.