[Pediatric anesthesiology]

Paediatric anaesthesia varies from anaesthesia administered to the adult. No one would now doubt the value of paediatrics as a separate specialty- but what of its various branches? In the instance of anaesthesia it is believed that a very good case indeed can be made for a distinct specialty, because in paediatric anaesthesia the infant's needs are fundamentally different from those of the adult. It is not simply a question of adjusting doses or the parameters of ventilation to a scale related to weight or surface area. The anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and pathology of the infant generally and of the neonate in particular differ greatly from those of the adult. Each type of surgery has its special problems, and again these are different when applied to the infant. In this paper a few of the differences with their implications on anaesthetic practice are emphasized. Last but not least the psychological responses of infants and children of various ages to anaesthesia are explained.