Why is BSA preferred over body weight for medication dosing?
BSA correlates more closely with physiological parameters such as cardiac output, renal blood flow, and metabolic rate than raw body weight.
Estimate BSA using Mosteller and Du Bois clinical formulas.
Estimates total external Body Surface Area (BSA) in square meters using clinically validated Mosteller and Du Bois clinical equations.
Mosteller Formula: BSA (m²) = sqrt([Height (cm) × Weight (kg)] / 3600)
Du Bois Formula: BSA = 0.007184 × Height^0.725 × Weight^0.425. BSA is the clinical standard for indexation of cardiac output and chemotherapy dosing.
Inputs: Weight = 70 kg | Height = 175 cm | Formula = Mosteller
Summary: Height = 175 cm | Weight = 70 kg | Body Surface Area (Mosteller) = 1.84 m²
BSA correlates more closely with physiological parameters such as cardiac output, renal blood flow, and metabolic rate than raw body weight.
The Mosteller formula is preferred in clinical practice due to its mathematical simplicity and high concordance with Du Bois.
Standard accepted normal adult BSA is approximately 1.73 m² (frequently used as the normalization baseline for kidney function tests).