Body Surface Area (BSA) Calculator
Calculate your Body Surface Area using the Mosteller, DuBois, and Haycock formulas. Essential for medical dosing and burn assessment.
Patient Details
Body Surface Area Results
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most common clinical use
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historical standard
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pediatric standard
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recommended value
💡 Average Adult BSA: The average adult BSA is approximately 1.7 m² for men and 1.6 m² for women.
What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?
Body Surface Area is the total surface area of the human body. It is a critical metric in medicine because many physiological processes (like heat loss, cardiac output, and drug metabolism) correlate better with BSA than with body weight alone.
The Formulas
Mosteller (Simplest):
BSA = √[(Height cm × Weight kg) / 3600]
DuBois & DuBois:
BSA = 0.007184 × Weight^0.425 × Height^0.725
Haycock (Best for children):
BSA = 0.024265 × Weight^0.5378 × Height^0.3964
BSA = √[(Height cm × Weight kg) / 3600]
DuBois & DuBois:
BSA = 0.007184 × Weight^0.425 × Height^0.725
Haycock (Best for children):
BSA = 0.024265 × Weight^0.5378 × Height^0.3964
Medical Applications of BSA
- Chemotherapy Dosing: Many cancer drugs are dosed in mg/m² to prevent toxicity.
- Burn Assessment: The "Rule of Nines" uses BSA to estimate the percentage of body burned.
- Cardiac Index: Cardiac output is normalized by BSA to compare heart function across different body sizes.
- Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR): Kidney function is often adjusted for BSA.
BSA by Age Group
| Group | Average BSA (m²) |
|---|---|
| Newborn | 0.25 |
| Child (2 years) | 0.50 |
| Child (9 years) | 1.07 |
| Adult Male | 1.90 |
| Adult Female | 1.60 |
| Obese Adult | 2.20+ |
⚠️ Medical Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational purposes only. Always consult a medical professional for drug dosing and clinical decisions.
References
- Mosteller RD. "Simplified calculation of body-surface area." N Engl J Med. 1987.
- DuBois D, DuBois EF. "A formula to estimate the approximate surface area." Arch Intern Med. 1916.