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m²
Mosteller Formula
- m²
Du Bois Formula
- m²
Gehan & George Formula
- m²
BSA is used in medical dosing, burn treatment, and fitness assessments. Average adult BSA is 1.7-2.0 m².
Calculate your Body Surface Area
BSA is used in medical dosing, burn treatment, and fitness assessments. Average adult BSA is 1.7-2.0 m².
The calculator uses three validated formulas to estimate BSA: Mosteller: √[(height in cm × weight in kg) / 3600]. Du Bois: 0.007184 × weight^0.425 × height^0.725. Gehan & George: 0.0235 × weight^0.42246 × height^0.51456. These formulas account for the non-linear relationship between body size and surface area.
Body Surface Area is more accurate than body weight for dosing certain medications, especially chemotherapy and pediatric drugs. It's also used to calculate cardiac index, measure burn severity, and assess metabolic rate. BSA correlates better with physiological processes than BMI or weight alone.
The average adult BSA is approximately 1.7-2.0 m². Values vary by age, gender, and body composition. Children have smaller BSA relative to weight. Athletes may have higher BSA due to greater muscle mass. BSA increases with weight but not proportionally - doubling weight doesn't double BSA.
Measure height without shoes and weight in light clothing. Use the same scale and stadiometer for consistency. Measure at the same time of day, preferably in the morning. The Mosteller formula is simplest and most commonly used. For critical medication dosing, consult healthcare providers who may use additional factors.
Body Surface Area (BSA) is primarily used in medicine to calculate drug dosages, especially for chemotherapy and other medications where precise dosing is critical. It is also used to assess burn severity (percentage of body surface burned), calculate cardiac index (cardiac output divided by BSA), determine kidney function, and estimate metabolic rate. BSA provides a more accurate basis for dosing than body weight alone because it better correlates with metabolic activity.
BSA is calculated using mathematical formulas that take your height and weight as inputs. The most commonly used formulas are: Mosteller (square root of height in cm times weight in kg divided by 3600), Du Bois (0.007184 times weight to the power of 0.425 times height to the power of 0.725), and Gehan-George (0.0235 times weight to the power of 0.42246 times height to the power of 0.51456). The Mosteller formula is the simplest and most widely used in clinical practice.
BSA (Body Surface Area) estimates the total surface area of your body in square meters, while BMI (Body Mass Index) is a ratio of weight to height squared used to classify weight status. BSA is primarily used in clinical settings for medication dosing and medical assessments. BMI is used to screen for underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in general health assessments. BSA correlates better with physiological processes like drug metabolism, while BMI is a simpler screening tool for weight-related health risks.