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    Patent Pending

    Endotracheal Tube (ETT) Depth and Tidal Volume Calculator

    Estimates depth of optimal ETT placement and target tidal volume by height.

    INSTRUCTIONS

    Use in patients over 20 years old.

    When to Use
    Pearls/Pitfalls
    Why Use

    Adult patients requiring orotracheal intubation.

    • ETT depth is measured based on the patient’s front teeth (not the molars).
    • Larger tidal volumes may be temporarily required for patients with severe metabolic acidosis.
    • Placing the ETT too deeply may cause right mainstem intubation, hypoxemia, and pneumothorax. However, placing the ETT too shallowly may risk injury to the vocal cords and accidental extubation. Standard approaches to verify ETT depth (e.g. bilateral auscultation) are insensitive.
    • Use of lower tidal volumes appears to prevent the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome, even in patients who do not have lung injury.
    in
    Female
    Male

    Result:

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    Next Steps
    Evidence
    Creator Insights
    Dr. Anchalee Techanivate

    About the Creator

    Anchalee Techanivate, MD, is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

    To view Dr. Anchalee Techanivate's publications, visit PubMed

    Are you Dr. Anchalee Techanivate? Send us a message to review your photo and bio, and find out how to submit Creator Insights!
    MDCalc loves calculator creators – researchers who, through intelligent and often complex methods, discover tools that describe scientific facts that can then be applied in practice. These are real scientific discoveries about the nature of the human body, which can be invaluable to physicians taking care of patients.
    Content Contributors
    • Joshua Farkas, MD
    About the Creator
    Dr. Anchalee Techanivate
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    Content Contributors
    • Joshua Farkas, MD