Determining the Size of Suction Catheter to Use for an Endotracheal Tube

The proper size for a suction catheter to use with an endotracheal tube can be estimated based on the internal diameter of the endotracheal tube.

reference size =

= 2 * (internal diameter of the endotracheal tube in mm)

The size of suction catheter to use is the next French catheter size that is smaller than the reference size..

Internal Diameter of Endotracheal Tube in mm	Reference Size	Suction Catheter to Use
5 mm	10 mm	8 or 9 French
8 mm	16 mm	14 French

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