1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Definition: BSA is the calculated surface area of the human body, used in many medical measurements including medication dosages.

Purpose: It provides a more accurate metric than body weight alone for determining many medical parameters.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Du Bois formula:

Where:

• \( BSA \) — Body Surface Area (square meters)
• \( height \) — Patient height (centimeters)
• \( weight \) — Patient weight (kilograms)

Explanation: The formula calculates the approximate body surface area based on the geometric relationship between height and weight.

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: BSA is used to calculate drug dosages for chemotherapy, cardiac index, and other medical parameters where body size matters.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's height in centimeters and weight in kilograms. Both values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight alone?
A: BSA accounts for both height and weight, providing a better estimate of metabolic mass than weight alone.

Q2: What's the most accurate BSA formula?
A: While Du Bois is common, other formulas exist (Mosteller, Haycock). Du Bois remains widely used in clinical practice.

Q3: When is BSA most important?
A: Particularly crucial for chemotherapy dosing, pediatric medicine, and burn cases.

Q4: What's a typical adult BSA?
A: Average is about 1.7 m² for men and 1.6 m² for women, but varies significantly by body size.

Q5: Can I use pounds and inches?
A: This calculator uses metric units. Convert pounds to kg (1 lb = 0.4536 kg) and inches to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm).