[Clinical basics of supraglottic airway management in paediatric anaesthesia]

The low invasiveness and simplicity of use of the LMA-Classic™ contributed substantially to the supraglottic airway management acquiring a special role in the anaesthesia care of neonates and children. Due to the introduction of new supraglottic airway devices and the expansion of indications, this form of airway management has a predominant role in paediatric anaesthesia in many institutions nowadays. As securing the airway "above the glottis" differs substantially in some aspects from securing the airway using the endotracheal tube it is mandatory to acknowledge special aspects in routine clinical practice in order to avoid complications. The following article describes basic aspects of supraglottic airway management in paediatric anaesthesia and illustrates, where possible, the available scientific evidence in the use of different supraglottic airway devices in this regard.