Equipment and monitoring for paediatric anaesthesia

In the last 3 years, most basic anaesthesia equipment has remained unchanged, but several new developments in airway and monitoring equipment have particular benefits for paediatric anaesthesia. In this review, we outline these developments and indicate the evidence for these developments, where it exists. We discuss methods of distraction and introduce a range of distraction devices coupled with an overview of devices to help with venous cannulation.For many years, we have been using disposable equipment, and a plethora of new equipment of varying quality and reliability continues to appear. This is the most obvious in the sphere of airway management with the appearance of multiple new supraglottic airway devices and laryngoscopic equipment. The International Organization for Standardization has sought to exert some level of quality control with respect to disposable laryngoscope blades, but much airway equipment becomes available before relevant comparative studies with existing gold standards.The role of video laryngoscopes is becoming more evident as we become familiar with these devices, though only a few of these have a role in paediatric anaesthesia. A number of innovative changes have been incorporated into routine non-invasive monitoring systems and these are discussed.