Enter your height and weight (in your preferred units), choose a calculation formula — like Mosteller or DuBois — and this Body Surface Area (BSA) Calculator gives you your BSA in both square meters and square feet, along with a note on which formula was used.
Body Surface Area
--
BSA in Square Feet
--
Formula Used
--
BSA is the total surface area of the human body expressed in square meters. It's crucial in medicine for calculating drug dosages, chemotherapy protocols, and cardiac index measurements because it's a more accurate indicator of metabolic mass than body weight alone.
The Du Bois formula is the most widely used in clinical practice and is considered the gold standard. The Mosteller formula is simpler to calculate and closely approximates Du Bois results. Both are accepted in medical settings.
Convert to metric units: 163 lbs = 74 kg, 5'4" = 163 cm. Using Du Bois formula: BSA = 0.007184 × (74)^0.425 × (163)^0.725 = approximately 1.82 m².
The same formulas apply to children, but special attention should be paid to accurate measurements. For very small infants, some specialized pediatric formulas may be preferred. Always consult medical guidelines for pediatric drug dosing.
A BSA of 1.73 m² is the standard reference value used in medical calculations, representing an average adult. Many lab values and drug dosages are normalized to this standard BSA for comparison purposes.
Yes, BSA is often more accurate because it correlates better with metabolic mass and physiological functions like cardiac output and kidney function. This makes it particularly useful for drug dosing and medical assessments.
Adult BSA typically ranges from 1.6-1.9 m² for females and 1.9-2.1 m² for males. Newborns have a BSA around 0.25 m², while a 10-year-old child averages about 1.14 m².
While BSA correlates with metabolic rate, it's primarily used for medical dosing. For caloric needs, BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) calculators that consider age, gender, and activity level are more appropriate.