The Pediatric Difficult Airway: Updates and Innovations

Abstract

Children have unique characteristics that make them particularly vulnerable to perioperative adverse events. Skilled airway management is a cornerstone of high-quality anesthetic management. The use of hybrid airway techniques is a critical tool for the pediatric anesthesiologist. Point-of-care ultrasonography has an expanding role in airway management, from preoperative assessment of airway pathology and gastric contents to confirmation of tracheal intubation and identification of the cricothyroid membrane. The exciting fields of 3-dimensional printing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are areas of innovation that will transform pediatric difficult airway management in years to come.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Can’t intubate can’t oxygenate; Machine learning; Pediatric difficult airway; Point-of-care-ultrasound; Three-dimensional printing.