Rule of Nines Calculator
The rule of nines calculator is a calculator which allows us to estimate the percentage of a person's body that has sustained burns. It calculates the total surface body area (TBSA) of a person's body that has been burned.
It is very important to calculate the total surface body area of burns that a person has faced because it allows us to determine the severity of burns and how to treat the burns.
One formula that uses the TBSA that has been affected by burns is the parkland formula. This formula calculates the amount of fluids that a burn victim has to receive in the first 24 hours after sustaining burns. The formula is, Parkland formula= 4mL * weight in kilograms * %TBSA. This calculates the amount of fluids that a person needs in the first 24 hours after sustaining burns.
Thus, knowing how to calculate the TBSA is critical for the management and treatment of burn victims. And how it is calculated is standardized by the rules of nines calculation.
Based on the rule of nines calculation, each part of the body makes up a certain percentage of the total body surface area. It is called the rule of nines because each part is either 9% or a factor of 9.
We'll now break down what each part is worth based on rule of nines.
The entire head is 9%. The front of the head is 4.5% and the back of the head is 4.5%.
The entire torso, including the chest and back, makes up 36% of the body. The chest, or anterior torso, makes up 18% of the TBSA. The back, or posterior torso, makes up 18% of the TBSA.
Each arm makes up 9% of the TBSA. So in total both arms make up 18% of the TBSA. If a person has sustained burns only to the front of one arm, it is 4.5% of the TBSA. If a person has sustained burns only to the back of one arm, it is 4.5% of the TBSA.
The genitalia makes up 1% of the TBSA.
Each leg makes up 18% of the TBSA. So, in total, both legs make up 36% of the TBSA. If a person has sustained burns only to the front of one leg, it is 9% of the TBSA. If a person has sustained burns only to the back of one leg, it is 9% of the TBSA.
So this is the rule of nines calculation that allows us to compute the TBSA that has been affected by burns.
To use this calculator, simply enter in the parts of the body that have been affected by burns with a comma separating each different body part. And then hit 'Submit' and the TBSA will be calculated.
For example, you may enter in, 'the front of the head, front of both arms, the chest, and the front of the right leg'. This computes to a TBSA of 40.5% of the body. The front of the head is 4.5%, the front of both arms is 9%, the chest is 18%, and the front of the right leg is 9%. This adds up to 40.5%.
This calculator is precise. You can specify the front of a body part, the back of the body part, whether both body parts are affected in the case of the legs and arms. You can put in values just like you would in english.
This calculator understands body parts: head, face, arms, legs, hands, feet, torso, chest, anterior torso, back,
posterior
torso, genitalia, and private parts. So it's very user and term friendly.
Related Resources
Braden Score Calculator
Glasgow Coma Scale Calculator
Cardiac Output Calculator
Stroke Volume Calculator
Pulse Pressure Calculator
Mean Arterial Pressure Calculator
Naegele's Rule Calculator
Bartholomew's Rule of Fourths Calculator
Parkland Formula Calculator
IV (Macro) Drip Rate Calculator
IV Micro Drip Rate Calculator
IV Flow Rate Calculator
Alcohol Metabolism Calculator
Autosomal Recessive Inheritance Calculator