The Body Surface Area (BSA) calculator uses the Mosteller formula to calculate a person’s total skin area. It is an essential tool in medicine, pharmacology, and oncology for accurately dosing medications.

What is Body Surface Area

Total body surface area (TBSA) is the measurement of the external area of ​​the human body expressed in square meters (m²). Unlike weight or BMI, TBSA is a more accurate indicator for calculating dosages of chemotherapy drugs, cardiac medications, and other medical treatments.

Mosteller Formula for Body Surface

The Mosteller formula is the most widely used clinically due to its accuracy and ease of calculation:

BSA (m²) = √ [ Size (cm) × Weight (kg) / 3600 ]

This formula was published in 1987 and has become the international reference standard for calculating body surface area.

How to use the Body Surface Area Calculator

1. Enter your height in centimeters (example: 175)
2. Enter your weight in kilograms (example: 70)
3. The calculator automatically applies the Mosteller formula.
4. Get your BSA in m² instantly

Body Surface Area Reference Values

• Average adult (male): 1.9 m²
• Average adult (female): 1.6 m²
• 10-year-old child: 1.2 m²
• Newborn: 0.25 m²

Clinical Applications of the Body Surface

• Chemotherapy: dosage of antineoplastic agents such as carboplatin and cisplatin
• Cardiology: Calculation of cardiac indices and valve area
• Nephrology: estimation of renal function
• Pediatrics: Pediatric medication dosage
• Clinical nutrition: calculating caloric requirements

⚠️ Important: This tool is for reference only. Always consult your doctor for clinical interpretation.

Other Body Surface Formulas

• DuBois: BSA = 0.007184 × Height^0.725 × Weight^0.425 (original formula from 1916)
• Haycock: more accurate for newborns and children
• Boyd: an alternative with slight variations in weight extremes

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