Total body surface area

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Total body surface area (TBSA) is an assessment measure of burns of the skin. In adults, the "rule of nines" is used to determine the total percentage of area burned for each major section of the body.^[1] In some cases, the burns may cover more than one body part, or may not fully cover such a part - in these cases, burns are measured by using the casualty's palm as a reference point for 1% of the body.

For children and infants, the Lund-Browder chart is used to assess the burned body surface area. Different percentages are used because the ratio of the combined surface area of the head and neck to the surface area of the limbs is typically larger in children than that of an adult.^[2]

Adults Anatomic structure Surface area Head and neck 9% Anterior torso 18% Posterior torso 18% Each leg 18% Each arm 9% Genitalia/perineum 1%

Children Anatomic structure Surface area Head and neck 18% Anterior torso 18% Posterior torso 18% Each leg 14% Each arm 9% Genitalia/perineum 1%

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