Pediatrics

Pediatric ETT Size & Depth

Estimates endotracheal tube (ETT) size and insertion depth by age.

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Parameters

Pediatric ETT Size & Depth Result

Formula

Uncuffed ETT = (Age / 4) + 4
Cuffed ETT = (Age / 4) + 3.5
Depth at lips = (Age / 2) + 12

Clinical Pearls

Allows rapid preparation of airway equipment during pediatric resuscitations where memory recall under stress can be error-prone.

Limitations

Calculations are estimates. Anatomical variations exist. Micrognathia or syndromes (e.g., Down syndrome) may require smaller tubes. Length-based tapes (Broselow) are more accurate than age-based formulas.