Low-flow anesthesia in children: theory and clinical practice

ABSTRACT

There has been increased interest recently in low-flow anesthesia to minimize wastage of expensive volatile anesthetics and reduce atmospheric pollution. With the help of modern anesthetic apparatus and the availability of comprehensive gas monitoring, low-flow anesthesia can be performed safely in children. However, pediatric anesthesiologists have been more reluctant to adopt low-flow techniques. In this review article, the safety and efficacy of low-flow anesthesia will be discussed to help the anesthesiologists who want to employ this technique in children.