The future of pediatric anesthesia.

The future of pediatric anesthesia can be thought of in terms of what will happen to the practice of anesthesia, or what will happen to the profession of pediatric anesthesia. The profession will change both under external forces, and by how pediatric anesthetists themselves decide to shape of the profession. The largest external force is likely to be cost. The profession will increasingly be expected to maintain efficiency without compromising quality. Other future issues include credentialing, training and the role of the anesthetists beyond the operating room. It's harder to predict how the practice of pediatric anesthesia might change. New drugs may change practice, though perhaps it's more likely that practice will change with better use of existing drugs. New technologies will have an impact in monitoring and in the gathering and dissemination of information. Practice will also change with changes in surgery. Perhaps the biggest changes will come in areas with the greatest unknowns; neonatal anesthesia is an area with many unknowns and thus great potential for change and improvement.