Preoperative assessment and preparation for anaesthesia in children

Paediatric anaesthesia can be challenging but careful preoperative assessment and preparation can make the process positive and successful for the child and their parents and rewarding for the anaesthetic team. During the preoperative assessment, we aim to gather information to plan our anaesthetic technique, assess risk, provide explanations and establish rapport. We describe below the elements of preoperative assessment that will prepare the family and staff for a smooth and safe anaesthetic process.