RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Protective ventilation is now a standard of care in adults. However, management of ventilation is heterogeneous in children and little is known regarding the mechanical ventilation parameters actually used during pediatric anesthesia. AIM: The aim of the study was to assess current ventilatory practices during pediatric anesthesia in France and to compare them with pediatric experts' statements, with a specific focus on tidal volume. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicenter observational study, regarding the ventilatory management and the mechanical ventilation parameters, over two days (21 and 22 June 2017) in 29 pediatric centers in France. All children undergoing general anesthesia during these 2 days were eligible; those who required extracorporeal circulation or one-lung ventilation were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 701 children were included; median [IQR] age was 60 [24-120] months. Among the patients in whom controlled ventilation was used, 254/515 (49.3%) had an expired tidal volume >8 mL/kg and 44 children (8.8%) an expired tidal volume ≥10 mL/kg. Lower weight and use of a supraglottic airway device were significantly associated with provision of a tidal volume ≥10 mL/kg (odds ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval [0.92; 0.97], P < .001 and 2.28 [1.20; 4.31], P = .012, respectively). The positive end-expiratory pressure was set at a median [IQR] of 4 [3-5] cmH2 O; it was <3 cmH2 O in 15.7% of children and not used in 56/499 (9.3%). Among intubated children, 57 (18.3%) received a tidal volume < 10 mL/kg with a positive end-expiratory pressure ≥3 cmH2 O in association with recruitment maneuvers. CONCLUSIONS: Ventilatory practices in children were heterogenous, and a large proportion of children were not ventilated as it is currently recommended by some experts.