General Anesthesia in Pediatrics

Abstract

General Anesthesia has been in use for decades and the field is growing very rapidly with many new agents continuously being developed. The human body’s metabolism and organ functions are constantly changing with age; thus, the drug pharmacokinetics and dynamics critically differ with age. Understanding the differences between the pediatric population and the adult population is vital for good patient care. As for the pediatrics general anesthesia, while it might use the same means of anesthesia as in the adult population, the slightest changes in dosage or agent type can be catastrophic. Current advanced in the anesthetic agents have minimized the anesthetic risks. However, the neurotoxicity, as well as the cardiovascular and respiratory complications of such procedures are still common in neonates and infants. This thesis will further discuss the details of general anesthesia in the pediatric population, the related pharmacokinetics and dynamics, the anesthetic agents used and their side-effects, as well as the possibilities of implementing newly researched drugs in this population.