Kroppsflateareal

Kroppsflateareal (KFA), often abbreviated as BSA in English for Body Surface Area, is a measure of the total surface area of a human body. It is calculated from a person's height and weight, and is expressed in square meters. KFA is widely used in medicine, particularly in fields like oncology, cardiology, and dermatology.

One of the primary applications of KFA is in determining drug dosages. Many medications, especially chemotherapy drugs, are dosed based on a patient's KFA rather than their weight alone. This is because the rate at which a drug is metabolized and eliminated from the body is often proportional to the body's surface area, which influences drug efficacy and toxicity.

Beyond drug dosing, KFA is also employed in physiological calculations. For instance, it is used to estimate basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories the body burns at rest. It can also be used to assess fluid and electrolyte needs, particularly in burn victims. Furthermore, KFA can be a factor in understanding heat loss and gain, thermoregulation, and the diffusion of substances across the skin.

Several formulas exist to calculate KFA, with the Mosteller formula and the Dubois formula being among the most common. These formulas generally involve a combination of height and weight, with variations in their complexity and the range of individuals for whom they are considered most accurate. Despite its widespread use, KFA is an estimation, and its precision can vary.