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Current theory and practice: a study of pre-operative fasting
Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
|January 24, 1996
Summary
Pre-operative fluid fasting often exceeds recommended times due to routine practices, not evidence. Patients receive inadequate information, highlighting a need for updated hospital policies on fasting guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Medical Practice
- Surgical Patient Care
Background:
- Pre-operative fasting is a standard patient care protocol.
- Current practices may not align with updated medical recommendations for fluid intake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine current pre-operative fluid fasting practices.
- To identify discrepancies between routine and recommended fasting durations.
- To assess healthcare professionals' awareness of current fasting guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Utilized structured and semi-structured interviews with patients, nurses, and anaesthetists.
- Analyzed fasting durations and compared them to established recommendations.
- Investigated the basis of current pre-operative fasting regimes.
Main Results:
- Pre-operative fasting for fluids frequently exceeds recommended durations, averaging 11 hours (range: 3.75–29 hours).
- Fasting protocols are based on routine practice rather than evidence-based guidelines.
- Nurses lacked awareness of recent research, and hospital policies were absent, contributing to prolonged fasting.
- Patients received insufficient information about the purpose and nature of their fast.
Conclusions:
- Current pre-operative fluid fasting practices are often prolonged and not evidence-based.
- A lack of updated knowledge and clear hospital policies contributes to extended patient fasting.
- Improved patient education and standardized, evidence-based fasting guidelines are necessary.