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Preoperative drinking does not affect gastric contents

S Phillips1, S Hutchinson, T Davidson

  • 1Department of Anaesthetics, Kingston Hospital, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.

British Journal of Anaesthesia
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Allowing clear fluids before surgery does not increase gastric volume or acidity, enhancing patient comfort. This practice is safe for elective surgical patients, reducing preoperative thirst without compromising safety.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Surgical Patient Care

Background:

  • Conventional preoperative fasting guidelines often mandate prolonged periods without fluid intake.
  • This can lead to patient discomfort, including thirst and dehydration.
  • The impact of allowing clear fluids closer to anesthesia on gastric contents requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effects of allowing free clear fluids up to oral premedication versus conventional preoperative fasting on gastric residual volume and pH.
  • To assess patient comfort, specifically preoperative thirst, in relation to fluid intake.
  • To evaluate the safety of liberal clear fluid intake in elective surgical patients.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, randomized trial involving 100 elective surgical patients.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Patients were allocated to either a group consuming measured clear fluids up to premedication or a control group fasted for 6 hours.
  • Gastric residual volume and pH were measured after induction of anesthesia.

    • Main Results:

    • Preoperative fluid intake did not significantly alter mean residual gastric volume (22 ml vs 19 ml).
    • Gastric pH also remained comparable between the study and control groups (2.64 vs 2.26).
    • Patients allowed fluids reported reduced preoperative thirst, with no aspiration or regurgitation events.

    Conclusions:

    • Allowing elective surgical patients to consume clear fluids until 2 hours before anesthesia enhances comfort by reducing thirst.
    • This practice does not compromise the safety of anesthesia regarding gastric contents.
    • Liberal clear fluid intake is a safe and beneficial strategy for improving the preoperative patient experience.