IMPACT OF VENTILATION STRATEGIES ON

R espiratory adverse events are major causes ofmorbidity and mortality during paediatric anaes-thesia. Several factors, such as asthma, bronchial hyperreactivity, upper respiratory tract infection or passive smoking, are known to increase the risk of respiratory complications. Since all these risk factors have a high prevalence in children, it is crucial for the paediatric anaesthesia practice to anticipate, recognise and treat common respiratory complications. The ability to prevent respiratory complications requires an understanding of the underlying physiology and pathophysiology, but until recently little has been known of the impact of anaesthesia and its different components (e.g. anaesthetic agents, ventilation strategies) on respiratory function in children. My research over the past years has focused on this area and, in particular, on the impact of different anaesthetic agents and regional anaesthesia techniques, as well as body positioning on functional residual capacity and ventilation homogeneity