Body Surface Area (BSA) is the calculated total surface area of the human body. It is widely used in oncology for chemotherapy dosing, in cardiology for cardiac index calculations, and in pediatric medicine for drug dosing.
Mosteller Formula
BSA (m²) = √[(Height in cm × Weight in kg) / 3600]
Why Mosteller?
The Mosteller formula is the most widely used BSA equation due to its simplicity and accuracy. It produces results comparable to the more complex DuBois and Haycock formulas.
Common Clinical Uses
- Chemotherapy dosing: Most cytotoxic drugs are dosed in mg/m² (e.g., 5-FU 400 mg/m²)
- Cardiac index: Cardiac output normalized to BSA (CI = CO/BSA)
- Pediatric dosing: Some medications use mg/m² for children
- Glomerular filtration rate: Standardized GFR is reported per 1.73 m² BSA