BSAdosering

BSAdosering refers to the practice of calculating drug doses based on body surface area (BSA). In Dutch, "dosering" means dosing, and the term is used to describe the method of normalizing doses to a patient’s body surface area rather than using weight or fixed amounts alone. BSA dosing is most commonly associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy but is also applied in other areas of pharmacotherapy where body size influences drug exposure.

Calculation methods typically estimate body surface area from height and weight. The Mosteller formula is widely used: BSA (m^2) = sqrt(height in cm × weight in kg / 3600). Other formulas, such as Du Bois, exist and may be preferred in certain settings. Once BSA is estimated, the drug-specific dose per square meter is multiplied by the patient’s BSA to determine the total dose: Dose = BSA × dose per m^2. The dose per m^2 is derived from clinical trials and regulatory labeling.

Usage and rationale: BSA dosing aims to reduce variability in drug exposure between patients with different body sizes, particularly in oncology where narrow therapeutic windows exist. It is often favored in pediatrics to account for growth and maturation differences.

Advantages and limitations: BSA dosing can standardize dosing across a range of body sizes but does not account for all factors affecting pharmacokinetics, such as organ function, age, or genetics. For some drugs, weight-based or fixed dosing may be more appropriate. Clinicians generally use BSA dosing within established guidelines and monitor patient response and toxicity.

Safety and governance: BSAdosering is implemented under professional supervision, with dosing decisions aligned to drug labels and institutional protocols.