Formula | BSA (m²) |
---|---|
Mosteller | 1.752 |
DuBois | 1.754 |
Haycock | 1.754 |
GehanGeorge | 1.763 |
Boyd | 1.762 |
Body surface area (BSA) expresses the external covering of a human body in square metres. Clinicians and pharmacologists prefer BSA over body-weight alone because many physiological processes—drug distribution, metabolic heat exchange, cardiac output—scale to surface rather than mass. The metric therefore appears frequently in chemotherapy dosing, renal-clearance equations, and critical-care fluid calculations.
The calculator converts height and weight into centimetres and kilograms, then runs five peer-reviewed equations—Mosteller, Du Bois, Haycock, Gehan-George, and Boyd. Your chosen formula provides the headline value, while the tool contrasts every equation side-by-side, plots bar charts through an in-browser charting layer, and supplies a comma-separated file for offline analysis.
Imagine an oncology pharmacist adjusting a paediatric cisplatin dose; entering 110 cm and 18 kg delivers a 0.71 m² BSA, instantly revealing how alternative methods differ. Values are approximations; always corroborate with institutional standards. This calculator offers informational estimates, not medical advice.
Body-surface computation treats the human body as a geometric solid whose area relates more directly to metabolic need than outright mass. Empirical studies since 1916 produced several formulae that approximate true surface within ±5 %. Key variables are height (H, cm), weight (W, kg), and for one method weight in grams (Wg).
Population | Typical BSA (m²) |
---|---|
Newborn | 0.20 – 0.25 |
3-year-old child | 0.60 – 0.70 |
Adult female (50 kg, 160 cm) | 1.50 – 1.65 |
Adult male (70 kg, 175 cm) | 1.75 – 1.95 |
Values guide drug-dose nomograms, hyperthermia indexes, and ventilatory settings; they are not thresholds for health classification.
Mosteller example (170 cm, 65 kg):
Core research includes Du Bois & Du Bois (1916), Mosteller (1987), Haycock et al. (1978), Gehan & George (1970), and Boyd (1935), each correlating anthropometric data with body area measurements via planimetry or calorimetry.
All calculations run locally in your browser and process no personally identifiable data, aligning with GDPR principles.
Follow the sequence below to obtain and compare body-surface estimates:
No. Inputs remain in the browser session and disappear when the tab closes.
Mosteller is widely accepted for adult dosing; paediatric studies often favour Haycock. Compare outputs and follow institutional policy.
Each equation weights height and weight exponents differently, reflecting its original validation cohort.
Yes. Select inches for height or pounds for weight; the tool converts internally to metric.
Extreme adiposity shifts surface-to-mass ratios, so all formulae may under-predict actual area; verify with clinical references.