General
Demonstration dataBody Surface Area (Mosteller)
Estimates body surface area from height and weight using the Mosteller formula.
The Mosteller formula gives a simple, accurate estimate of body surface area (BSA) from height and weight, and is the most widely used BSA equation in clinical practice.
🧮 Interactive Calculator
📐 Formula
BSA (m²) = √((height_cm × weight_kg) / 3600)
When to Use
- Weight-independent dosing of chemotherapy and other BSA-based drugs.
- Calculating iodinated contrast dose and normalising physiological measurements.
- Indexing cardiac and other volumetric measurements to body size.
How It Works
- Multiply height in centimetres by weight in kilograms.
- Divide the product by 3600.
- Take the square root of the result to obtain BSA in square metres.
Interpreting the Result
- Average adult BSA is approximately 1.6-1.9 m².
- BSA is preferred over weight alone for cytotoxic drug dosing to reduce toxicity.
- Cardiac and organ measurements are often reported indexed to BSA (per m²).
Limitations & Pitfalls
- Less validated at extremes of body habitus and in obesity.
- Does not account for body composition (fat vs lean mass).
- Slight differences from Du Bois and Haycock formulas, though clinically minor.
References
- Mosteller RD. Simplified calculation of body-surface area. N Engl J Med. 1987;317(17):1098.
⚕️ For clinical decision support only. Always verify calculations and apply clinical judgment.