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What is Body Surface Area?
Body Surface Area (BSA) is the measured or calculated surface area of a human body, expressed in square meters (m²). Average adult BSA is approximately 1.7 m². BSA is used in medicine to calculate drug dosages (especially chemotherapy), determine cardiac output, and assess burn severity.
Du Bois vs Mosteller Formula
The Du Bois formula (1916) is: BSA = 0.007184 × weight(kg)^0.425 × height(cm)^0.725. The Mosteller formula (1987) is simpler: BSA = √(height(cm) × weight(kg) / 3600). Both produce similar results, with the Mosteller formula being preferred in many clinical settings for its simplicity.
Medical Applications of BSA
BSA is primarily used in oncology to calculate chemotherapy dosages, as drug clearance correlates better with BSA than body weight alone. It is also used to calculate glomerular filtration rate (kidney function), cardiac index, and fluid resuscitation formulas for burn patients (Parkland formula).
BSA in Fitness and Sports
In sports science, BSA is used to calculate metabolic rate more accurately, assess thermoregulation capacity (larger surface area means more heat dissipation), and normalize physiological measurements across different body sizes for fair comparison between athletes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The average BSA for adult men is approximately 1.9 m² and for adult women is approximately 1.6 m². BSA ranges from about 1.2 m² for small adults to 2.5 m² or more for very large individuals. Newborns have a BSA of about 0.25 m².
BSA correlates more closely with metabolic rate and organ function than body weight alone. Drug clearance by the liver and kidneys relates better to BSA. This makes BSA-based dosing more accurate, especially for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows like chemotherapy agents.
Multiply your height in inches by 2.54 to get centimeters. For example, 5'10" = 70 inches × 2.54 = 177.8 cm. You can also use the conversion: feet × 30.48 + inches × 2.54.
Both formulas are clinically validated and produce similar results (typically within 0.02 m²). The Du Bois formula is the historical standard, while the Mosteller formula is newer and simpler to calculate. Most clinical guidelines accept either formula.