1. What is mg/kg to mg/m² Conversion?

The mg/kg to mg/m² conversion adjusts medication doses based on body surface area (BSA) rather than just body weight. This is particularly important in chemotherapy and pediatric dosing where BSA better correlates with metabolic rate and drug distribution.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the following equation:

Where:

• \( \text{mg/kg} \) — Dose per kilogram of body weight
• \( \text{Weight} \) — Patient's weight in kilograms
• \( \text{BSA} \) — Body surface area in square meters

Explanation: The equation converts weight-based dosing to surface area-based dosing, which often provides better correlation with drug metabolism and distribution.

3. Importance of Dose Conversion

Details: BSA-based dosing is particularly important for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows, such as chemotherapy agents, where precise dosing is critical for both efficacy and safety.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the weight-based dose in mg/kg, patient's weight in kilograms, and body surface area in m². All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight for dosing?
A: BSA correlates better with metabolic rate, blood volume, and organ size than body weight alone, especially for drugs distributed throughout body water.

Q2: How is BSA typically calculated?
A: Common formulas include DuBois, Mosteller, or Haycock equations using height and weight measurements.

Q3: When is BSA-based dosing most important?
A: Primarily for chemotherapy, pediatric dosing, and drugs with narrow therapeutic indices where precise dosing is critical.

Q4: Are there limitations to BSA-based dosing?
A: May be less accurate in obese patients or those with abnormal body composition. Some drugs require alternative dosing strategies.

Q5: Should all medications use BSA dosing?
A: No, only specific medications (like chemotherapy) where clinical evidence supports BSA-based dosing.