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Mosteller Formula:
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Body Surface Area (BSA) is the calculated surface area of the human body. It's often used in medical practice to calculate drug dosages and medical indicators. The Mosteller formula is one of the most commonly used methods for BSA calculation.
The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates body surface area based on a person's weight and height, providing a more accurate measurement than body weight alone for many medical calculations.
Details: BSA is used to calculate dosages for many medications, particularly chemotherapy drugs, where dosage is often expressed per square meter of body surface area. It's also used to calculate cardiac index and other physiological measurements.
Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. All values must be valid (weight > 0, height > 0). For accurate results, use precise measurements.
Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight for drug dosing?
A: BSA correlates better with many physiological processes than body weight alone, leading to more accurate dosing for many medications.
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: Are there other BSA formulas?
A: Yes, other formulas include Du Bois, Haycock, and Gehan-George, but Mosteller is widely used due to its simplicity and reasonable accuracy.
Q4: When is BSA not appropriate for dosing?
A: For drugs with narrow therapeutic windows or those primarily distributed in body water, weight-based dosing may be preferred.
Q5: How accurate is the Mosteller formula?
A: It's generally accurate for most clinical purposes, though may be less precise at extremes of body size (very small or very large individuals).