Body Surface Area (BSA) Calculator
Professional Medical Grade BSA Computation
Calculation Results:
Understanding Body Surface Area (BSA)
Body Surface Area (BSA) is the measured or calculated surface area of a human body. For many clinical purposes, BSA is a better indicator of metabolic mass than body weight because it is less affected by abnormal adipose tissue (body fat). In clinical practice, BSA is used for dosing medications with narrow therapeutic indices, such as chemotherapy drugs and monoclonal antibodies.
Why Use a BSA Calculator?
Calculating BSA manually can be prone to error due to the complex square roots and exponents involved in medical formulas. This calculator provides three of the most widely accepted scientific formulas:
- Mosteller Formula: The most commonly used formula in clinical settings due to its simplicity and accuracy across various body types.
- Du Bois Formula: A classic medical formula used extensively in physiological research.
- Haycock Formula: Often preferred in pediatric settings as it provides high accuracy for infants and children.
How the Formulas Work
The calculation uses your height and weight. For example, the Mosteller formula is calculated as follows:
Realistic Example Calculation
Suppose an adult patient has the following metrics:
- Height: 180 cm (approx. 5'11")
- Weight: 85 kg (approx. 187 lbs)
Using the Mosteller formula, the calculation would be: √(180 * 85 / 3600) = √(15300 / 3600) = √4.25 = 2.06 m². The average BSA for an adult man is typically 1.9 m² and for an adult woman is 1.6 m².
Clinical Importance
Medical professionals use BSA to calculate the Cardiac Index (Cardiac Output divided by BSA), which helps determine how well the heart is pumping relative to the body's size. It is also critical in determining the dosage for drugs that require precise titration to avoid toxicity.