Final answer:
The formula for figuring out the uncuffed endotracheal tube size is based on the patient's age or inner diameter of the patient's little finger. There are two commonly used formulas based on the patient's age and finger diameter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formula for figuring out the uncuffed endotracheal tube size is based on the patient's age or inner diameter of the patient's little finger. Here are two commonly used formulas:
- For patients younger than 2 years, the tube size is (age in years + 16) / 4
- For patients older than 2 years, the tube size is (tube size according to finger / 3) + 3
For example, if the patient is 3 years old, you can calculate the tube size as (3 + 16) / 4 = 4.75. If the patient's little finger diameter is 2.5 mm, the tube size is (2.5 / 3) + 3 = 3.83.