MultiSwitch
SEARCH
MultiSwitch
Enter height and weight to estimate body surface area using the Mosteller formula.
Body surface area (BSA) estimates the total area of skin covering the body, in square metres. Clinicians often prefer it to body weight alone because it tracks metabolic rate and blood volume more closely. It's commonly used to dose chemotherapy and some other medications, to work out cardiac index, and to scale kidney function results.
Typical adult values are around 1.6 m² for women and 1.9 m² for men, and about 0.25 m² for a newborn.
BSA (m²) = √[(height in cm × weight in kg) ÷ 3600]
Published in 1987, the Mosteller formula is popular because it's simple enough to work out by hand and agrees closely with older, more complex formulas such as Du Bois, Haycock and Boyd for most adults and children.
For someone 175 cm tall weighing 70 kg:
Height and weight both matter, but neither on its own is decisive. Doubling weight raises BSA by about 41% (√2), not 100%.
No. It's for general reference only. Dosing decisions are made by a doctor or pharmacist, who may use a different formula, adjust for kidney or liver function, or cap the dose. Always follow their instructions.
Each was fitted to a different group of people. Du Bois (1916) used only nine subjects, and Haycock was designed with children in mind. For typical adults they agree within a few percent; they diverge more at extremes of size.
Convert first: 1 inch = 2.54 cm and 1 lb = 0.4536 kg. For example, 5 ft 9 in = 69 in × 2.54 = 175.3 cm.
No. BMI is weight ÷ height² and is a rough screen for weight category. BSA estimates physical surface area and is used mainly for clinical scaling.