Final answer:
The best way to deliver inhalant anesthesia to patients weighing less than 7 kg is through an anesthesia machine using modern, inhalant, halogen-containing anesthetic compounds like desflurane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane, due to their efficacy, safety, and low flammability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best way to deliver inhalant anesthesia for patients weighing less than 7 kg is through the use of an anesthesia machine. Anesthesia machines are ideal as they can precisely compose a mixture of oxygen, anesthetics, and ambient air, tailored to the patient's needs. When it comes to inhalation anesthesia for small patients, it's crucial to use volatile anesthetics like desflurane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane, which are the most widely used today due to their lower flammability and better safety profiles compared to older anesthetics like diethyl ether.
It is important to monitor patient and machine parameters closely to ensure a safe and effective level of anesthesia. The chosen anesthetic should have a wide therapeutic index, should not be highly flammable, and should not have troublesome side effects like nausea. These conditions make the modern, inhalant, halogen-containing anesthetic compounds the preferred choice for delivering inhalant anesthesia to patients under 7 kg.