Question 1

What is BSA?

Accepted Answer

BSA (Body Surface Area) is the total surface area of the human body measured in square meters (m²). It's used in medicine for drug dosing, cardiac index calculations, and assessing metabolic rate.

Question 2

How is BSA calculated?

Accepted Answer

BSA is calculated using formulas like Mosteller (sqrt(height × weight / 3131)), DuBois, or Haycock. All use height and weight to estimate your body surface area.

Question 3

What is a normal BSA?

Accepted Answer

Average adult BSA is about 1.7 m². Range is typically 1.2-2.2 m². Men tend to have slightly higher BSA than women due to greater muscle mass and height.

Question 4

Why is BSA used in medicine?

Accepted Answer

BSA provides a more accurate measure of metabolic mass than weight alone. It's used to calculate drug doses, especially for chemotherapy, and to normalize physiological measurements.

Question 5

Which BSA formula is best?

Accepted Answer

The Mosteller formula is most commonly used due to its simplicity. The DuBois formula is more accurate for larger individuals. All provide clinically useful estimates.

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