Perioperative Respiratory Adverse Events

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic viral carriers among healthy surgical patients and to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of these patients. The secondary objective is to compare the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAE) between virus positive patients with and without upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms. The secondary objective would aim to enroll patients who report recent URI symptoms.

The goal of this multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial study is to learn if the use of a nasal spray to open the nasal passages and increase airflow before surgery can reduce the occurrence of perioperative respiratory adverse events in children with upper respiratory tract infection who are undergoing anesthesia. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does use of a nasal decongestant (Oxymetazoline 0.05%) reduce perioperative respiratory adverse events during emergence (when waking up from anesthesia) or in the post-anesthesia care unit in children. * Is it easy and acceptable to doctors, children and parents to use the nasal decongestant treatment? Researchers will compare the nasal decongestant to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if it works to reduce perioperative respiratory adverse effects. Participants will: * Take a nasal decongestant or a placebo prior to surgery (just before anaesthesia is given) * Be monitored during and after surgery in the post-anaesthesia care unit for any perioperative respiratory adverse events. * Be asked about how acceptable they found the treatment.

The postoperative recovery period following general anesthesia has been associated with a 30%-50% incidence of postoperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in pediatric populations, including laryngospasm, airway obstruction, and hypoxemia. Despite the limited effects of existing pharmacological and operative interventions, positional optimization (e.g., lateral or semirecumbent position) may play a potential role by decreasing airway resistance and improving oxygenation. However, evidence-based evidence for its use in pediatric populations is still lacking, necessitating the urgent need for randomized controlled trials.