Preface

Though this is written for general anesthesia providers who occasionally are required to provide pediatric anesthesia, many others who provide pediatric anesthesia, sedation, pain control, resuscitation, or emergency care may also benefit. This book is an excellent starting point for providers in training, and a handy clinical reference for those who are many years into clinical practice. Our goal is to provide a source with the most critical and clinically relevant information that can be easily referenced by a busy practitioner in the middle of the night.

Every member of the anesthesia care team has a unique perspective and an abundance of knowledge to share. Our editors and contributors include board-certified pediatric anesthesiologists, general anesthesiologists who occasionally treat children, pediatric anesthesia fellows in training, anesthesia residents, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Our collective knowledge and teamwork have given this text its unique and approachable voice.

Our goal in this book was to present the scientific data as it relates to current clinical practice in an approachable and easily understood fashion. The information presented ranges from basic topics that will be useful for residents and nurses preparing for their exams, to a comprehensive analysis of the current controversies and common practices in pediatric anesthesia. We summarize the information into tables, figures, and illustrations where possible for easy reference. We review the key differences in a pediatric patient’s anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology for those providers accustomed to treating adults, and outline how to modify anesthetic techniques accordingly. We highlight topics critical to the safe perioperative care of infants and children. A thorough discussion of the management of common pediatric comorbidities is included, and commonly encountered anesthetic complications and their treatments are presented.

I am extremely grateful to all the contributors for bringing their invaluable knowledge, various points of view, and unique expertise to this book.

I thank my co-editors Dr. Irwin Gratz, Dr. Grace Dippo, Dr. Nathalie Peiris and Dr. Dinesh K. Choudhry, for their knowledge, competence, patience, and scrupulous attention to detail to make this manuscript more meaningful.

My warmest thanks to Hira Aftab, Manager-Publications, and our Project Coordinator whose unrelenting support has helped make this project possible.

Finally, I would like to thank Bentham Science for providing the opportunity to create this body of work.

In summary, we designed this book for all those who routinely or occasionally provide pediatric anesthesia with theoretical, clinical, and practical knowledge, and a readily available quick reference.

We sincerely hope this book will be of help to you in providing the safe practice of pediatric anesthesia.