Florida State Paramedic Practice Exam

How can the size of a pediatric ETT tube be typically measured?

1. Width of the patient's mouth

2. Length of the patient's arm

3. Size of the patient's little finger

4. Age of the patient in years

The correct answer is: Size of the patient's little finger

The size of a pediatric endotracheal tube (ETT) can typically be measured using the size of the patient's little finger. This method is based on the anatomical correlation between the size of the little finger and the appropriate ETT diameter for pediatric patients. The reasoning behind this method is that the internal diameter of the tube should approximate the diameter of the patient's airway to facilitate adequate ventilation without causing trauma. Using the little finger as a guide helps ensure that the selected tube size fits the patient appropriately, balancing the need for effective airway management with minimizing the risk of injury to the trachea. This provides a practical, quick-reference technique that is often employed in clinical settings. Other methods, such as measuring the width of the patient's mouth, using the length of the patient’s arm, or looking strictly at the age of the patient, do not provide as reliable or standardized an indication of the appropriate ETT size. Consequently, while they may have some relevance in specific scenarios, they do not demonstrate the same consistency or applicability across varied pediatric populations as does the measurement using the little finger.