Traditionally, anaesthetists have ventilated patients undergoing prolonged surgery with supra physiological tidal volumes to prevent collapse and improve oxygenation.  But is this safe?  Evidence from the critical care sphere suggests ventilator induced lung injury may be minimised with a more conservative approach.

Dharshi Karalapillai is an Intensivist-Anaesthetist from Melbourne's Austin Hospital, and is lead author of a paper which explored the role of a low volume ventilation strategy.