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Published on: November 9, 2016
[Preoperative fluid management in pediatric patients]
Megumi Hashimoto1, Tomoko Fujii, Kazuyuki Serada
1Department of Anesthesia, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama 224-8503.
Insights
Overnight fasting for pediatric patients increases dehydration and hypoglycemia risks. This review examines current preoperative fasting strategies for children, referencing American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines and Cochrane reports.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Critical Care
Context:
- Preoperative fasting is crucial for preventing pulmonary aspiration during pediatric general anesthesia.
- Overnight fasting remains common in Japan, potentially leading to dehydration and hypoglycemia in children.
- Established guidelines exist, including those from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and evaluations by the Cochrane Database.
Purpose:
- To review current preoperative fasting tactics for pediatric patients.
- To evaluate these tactics in light of the ASA's 1999 practice guidelines.
- To incorporate findings from the Cochrane Database's 2005 and 2009 evaluations.
Summary:
- This article reviews contemporary approaches to preoperative fasting in pediatric patients.
- It assesses these methods against the American Society of Anesthesiologists' guidelines on preoperative fasting.
- The review also considers the findings from Cochrane Database evaluations of these guidelines.
Impact:
- Highlights potential risks associated with prolonged preoperative fasting in children, such as dehydration and hypoglycemia.
- Provides an updated perspective on pediatric preoperative fasting practices.
- Informs clinical decision-making regarding optimal fasting protocols for pediatric anesthesia.
Abstract:
Preoperative fasting period is required in order to reducing the risk of pulmonary aspiration which may occur during pediatric general anesthesia. Overnight fasting is still prevalent in Japan. Children could be easily dehydrated or have hypoglycemia after such long fasting period. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) issued a simple guideline as "practice guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration" in 1999. Cochrane Database evaluated this guideline twice in 2005 and in 2009. In this article, recent tactics of preoperative fasting in children is reviewed along the ASA guideline and the Cochrane report.
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