ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses health issues related to paediatrics. It also explains preoperative preparation, management of anaesthesia, monitoring, intravenous therapy and postoperative management for the same. These issues include anaesthesia for paediatric surgery, circumcision, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, tracheo-oesophageal fistula and oesophageal atresia. Children should receive specialised care coordinated around their individual age-appropriate needs and that of their families. This includes staff that are trained and experienced in providing perioperative care for children. Circumcision is excision of the foreskin from around the penis. It is usually performed on an elective day-case basis. The incidence of congenital disphragmatic hernia is 1 in 2-4000 live births. It is probably a primary defect of lung growth - the affected lung is intrinsically abnormal. Right-sided hernia is associated with higher mortality. Congenital disphragmatic hernia presents with respiratory failure at birth or now more often at antenatal ultrasonography - around 60" are detected antenatally at an average gestational age of 24 weeks.
