Medical Diagnostics & Clinical Scoring

Lund and Browder Chart (Estimate)

Calculate the Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burned using the Lund and Browder method, which accounts for age-related body proportional changes.

Estimated Total TBSA
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Lund and Browder Chart Overview

The Lund and Browder Chart is the definitive, most accurate clinical method for estimating the Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) affected by a burn. It is universally considered the gold standard for burn size assessment in hospital settings, particularly in pediatric burn care.

The Problem with the Rule of Nines

The well-known 'Rule of Nines' is fast, but it is highly inaccurate for children. This is because a human's body proportions change drastically as they grow. An infant's head makes up a massive percentage of their total body surface area (up to 19%), while their legs are relatively short. In an adult, the head is only 7-9%, while the legs are massive.

How Lund-Browder Solves Proportions

The Lund and Browder chart provides a highly detailed diagram of the body divided into small segments. Crucially, it provides a table where the percentage values for the head, thighs, and lower legs dynamically change based on the patient's specific age (from 0 years old up to 15+ years).

TBSA = Sum of age-adjusted anatomical region percentages

Frequently Asked Questions

TBSA is the primary variable used in the Parkland Formula to calculate exactly how much intravenous fluid a burn shock patient needs in the first 24 hours. Overestimating causes deadly fluid overload (pulmonary edema), and underestimating causes deadly hypovolemic shock.

No. First-degree burns (like a typical sunburn that is red and painful but not blistered) are never included in TBSA calculations. Only partial-thickness (second-degree) and full-thickness (third-degree) burns are counted.

Rarely. Because it requires referencing a complex chart of age-adjusted percentages, paramedics and EMS providers typically use the simpler 'Rule of Nines' or the 'Palmar Method' (where the patient's palm equals 1% TBSA) for rapid field triage.

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