Body Surface Area (BSA) Calculator (Mosteller & DuBois)
Calculate human Body Surface Area (BSA in m²) using the clinical Mosteller and DuBois formulas for medication dosing, cardiac index, and chemotherapy administration.
Calculated Results
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Body Surface Area (BSA) preferred over body weight in medicine?
Metabolic processes and drug clearance rates correlate much more closely with body surface area than simple body weight. Many therapeutic agents (especially chemotherapy, biological immunosuppressants, and pediatric medications) are dosed per square meter (mg/m²) of BSA to prevent toxicity in obese or petite patients.
What is the Mosteller formula for Body Surface Area?
The Mosteller formula is: BSA (m²) = √((Height in cm × Weight in kg) / 3600). Because of its mathematical simplicity and clinical accuracy, it is the most widely adopted BSA formula in medical guidelines worldwide.
What is normal Body Surface Area for adult humans?
The statistical average Body Surface Area is approximately 1.9 m² for adult men and 1.6 to 1.7 m² for adult women. For children (9 years old), normal BSA is approximately 1.07 m².
How is BSA used in cardiology?
Cardiologists use BSA to index cardiac output into the Cardiac Index (CI = Cardiac Output / BSA), allowing meaningful comparison of heart pump performance across patients of different body sizes.