Paediatric anaesthesia – a comprehensive book of instructive cases

Paediatric anaesthesia is a profession that deals with children from all ages, ranging from the extreme premature to the adolescent of 16 years of age; in other words, from neonatology through paediatrics to internal medicine and surgery. This means that the paediatric patient is not a standard patient to be fitted into protocols. Often the problems are related to rare congenital diseases, which necessitates that the anaesthetist in charge make thoughtful preparation. However, more common acquired problems such as trauma, oncology or infectious diseases in the very young can also be a challenge. Another specific target group is the paediatric mentally retarded patient sometimes combined with cerebral palsy. In brief, paediatric anaesthesia is a young profession that combines specific expertise with experience and academic background.