🩺 BSA Calculator

Body Surface Area (BSA) is a measurement of the total surface area of the human body. It's crucial in medicine for calculating drug dosages, assessing kidney function, determining cardiac index, and various other clinical applications. BSA provides a more accurate basis for dosing than body weight alone.

The Du Bois formula is considered the most widely used and validated formula for BSA calculation. However, the Mosteller formula is simpler and nearly as accurate. The choice depends on your specific clinical needs and institutional preferences.

You can use the same formulas for children as for adults. The Mosteller formula is often preferred for pediatric patients due to its simplicity. Always ensure accurate height and weight measurements, as small errors can significantly affect the BSA calculation in children.

A BSA of 1.73 m² is considered the standard reference value for an average adult weighing 70 kg. This value is commonly used in medical calculations, particularly for normalizing kidney function tests (GFR) and other physiological parameters.

Yes, our calculator supports both metric (kg, cm) and imperial (lb, ft/in) units. The calculator automatically converts between units and applies the appropriate formula modifications for accurate results regardless of your input units.

BSA calculations are estimates with typical accuracy within 3-5% of actual measured values. While highly useful for clinical purposes, they should be used as guidance alongside clinical judgment, especially for critical medical decisions.

The Du Bois formula (BSA = 0.007184 × Height^0.725 × Weight^0.425) is more complex but historically established. The Mosteller formula (BSA = √(Height × Weight / 3600)) is simpler and easier to calculate manually, with comparable accuracy for most clinical applications.

Standard BSA formulas may be less accurate at extreme body weights. Some studies suggest alternative approaches for obese patients, but the standard formulas are still widely used. Clinical judgment should always be applied when using BSA for dosing in significantly overweight or underweight patients.