Endotracheal tube size selection guidelines for Chinese children: Prospective study of 533 cases

Appropriate selection of the size of an endotracheal tube (ETT) for use in children is important both in general anesthesia and critical care practice. Past published data on guidelines for selecting ETT size in children are based on Caucasian measurements. As body build is generally different in Chinese children compared with Caucasians of the same age group, guidelines for Chinese children are needed. The aim of this study was to determine guidelines for EFT size selection by recording and comparing age, body weight, length, head girth and circumference of the right fifth finger of the child. Correlations between internal diameter (ID) of the chosen EFT and the child's data were calculated and compared. In this study, 533 Chinese children, American Society of Anesthesiologists class I or II, aged from 3 months to 6 years, undergoing oral intubation for general anesthesia for minor pediatric surgery were enrolled. Our results showed that body length (height) had the best correlation to the size of an uncuffed oral ETT. Through stepwise regression, a formula, ETT ID = 2 + (body length (cm)/30), was obtained.