[The fasting regime prior to anaesthesia].

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Perioperative Medicine

Background:

• Preoperative fasting is standard practice to minimize pulmonary aspiration risk.
• Current guidelines recommend 6-hour fasting for solids and 2-hour for fluids.
• Fasting can lead to negative patient effects like thirst, starvation, and anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the safety and benefits of current preoperative fasting protocols.
• To highlight the advantages of allowing carbohydrate-rich fluids closer to anesthesia induction.
• To explore future advancements in gastric volume assessment.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on preoperative fasting guidelines since the 1990s.
• Analysis of the impact of carbohydrate-rich fluid intake on patient outcomes.
• Discussion of emerging technologies for gastric volume assessment.

Main Results:

• Studies confirm the safety of the 6-hour solid and 2-hour fluid fasting regimen.
• Intake of carbohydrate-rich fluids up to 2 hours before anesthesia significantly reduces thirst, starvation, and anxiety.
• Ultrasound technology shows potential for pre-anesthesia gastric volume assessment.

Conclusions:

• Current preoperative fasting guidelines are safe and effective.
• Liberalizing fluid intake, especially carbohydrate-rich options, improves patient experience.
• Future research may incorporate ultrasound for enhanced perioperative care.