Skin Area Calculator

How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter the patient's weight in kilograms (kg)
2. Enter the patient's height in centimeters (cm)
3. Select the patient's gender
4. Click the "Calculate" button to compute the skin surface area
5. The calculator will display the BSA in square meters (m²) and as a percentage of a standard adult (1.73 m²)

Understanding the Formula

This calculator uses the DuBois formula, which is one of the most commonly used formulas for calculating body surface area:

BSA = 0.007184 × W^0.425 × H^0.725 × K

Where:

• W = Weight in kilograms
• H = Height in centimeters
• K = Gender factor (1 for males, 0.7 for females)

Applications of BSA Calculation

Body surface area is an important parameter in medicine for:

• Dosing of certain medications (especially pediatric dosing)
• Administering chemotherapy
• Calculating fluid requirements
• Administering local anesthetics
• Calculating radiation therapy dosage

Example Calculation

For a 70 kg male who is 175 cm tall:

1. Input values: Weight = 70 kg, Height = 175 cm, Gender = Male
2. BSA = 0.007184 × 70^0.425 × 175^0.725 × 1
3. BSA ≈ 1.687 m²
4. BSA Percentage = (1.687 ÷ 1.73) × 100 ≈ 97.45%