RULE OF NINE- is a standardized method used to quickly assess how much body surface area (BSA) has been

burned on a patient. This rule is only applied to partial thickness (2nd degree) and full thickness (3rd degree) burns. The diagram below depicts BSA percentages for adults and infants of one year or less. For children over the age of one year, please see the formula below.

For children over the age of one year, for each year above one, add 0.5% to each leg and subtract 1% for the head. This formula should be used until the adult rule of nines values is reached. For example, a 5year old child would be +2% for each leg and -4% for the head.

LUND-BROWDER CLASSIFICATION This chart, if used correctly, is the most accurate method. It compensates for the variation in body shape with age and therefore can give an accurate assessment of burns area in children.

RULE OF PALMS Using the rule of palms, the surface of the patient's palm represents approximatley 1% of body surface area and is helpful in estimating the area of small burns.