Recommended Textbook for Pediatric Airway Anatomy and Physiology
I cannot recommend a specific textbook from the provided evidence, as none of the guideline or research documents cite or reference particular books on pediatric airway anatomy and physiology.
What the Evidence Does Provide
The available guidelines and research papers focus on clinical management protocols rather than educational textbooks 1. These documents emphasize:
Key Anatomical Concepts You Should Master
Age-specific positioning requirements: Infants under 2 years require a shoulder roll to achieve neck flexion with head extension (the "sniffing position"), while children over 2 years need only neutral head positioning without shoulder elevation 2.
Rapid desaturation physiology: Younger children experience SpO₂ falling below 94% within seconds due to higher metabolic oxygen consumption and reduced functional residual capacity 2.
Developmental airway changes: The airway changes in size, shape, and position throughout development from neonate to adult, forming the basis for understanding pathological conditions 3.
Alternative Learning Resources from the Evidence
French Guidelines (SFAR/ADARPEF 2019): Provide comprehensive algorithms and anatomical considerations for pediatric airway management, though not a textbook 1.
Recent review articles: Publications from 2019-2021 in Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology and Paediatric Anaesthesia offer updated summaries of anatomical and physiological principles 4, 5, 6.
Foundational anatomy review: A 2009 Paediatric Anaesthesia article specifically addresses "Anatomy and assessment of the pediatric airway" 3.
Practical Recommendation
Contact your department's airway lead or difficult airway service for their recommended textbook, as recent evidence emphasizes that these institutional resources are necessary to disseminate knowledge and promote evidence-based practice 4. They will know which current textbook best integrates anatomical principles with the clinical algorithms outlined in these 2019 French guidelines 1.