Preoperative fasting in children

Preoperative fasting in children: 1A012A033J03


Key points

Prolonged preoperative fasting times for healthy elective cases have been extrapolated from the aspiration risk of 'full-stomach' emergency cases.

Gastric emptying is regulated by hormonal, neuronal, and metabolic feedback.

Residual gastric volume is a poor surrogate for the risk of aspiration, and there appears to be no causal link or critical volume threshold.

Perioperative pulmonary aspiration in children is rare. The incidence is 0.07–0.1% and the consequences of clear fluid aspiration are not catastrophic.



Newer liberal paediatric fasting regimens for elective cases seem to confer no increase in aspiration risk compared with more conservative regimens.

from ! Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Αλέξανδρος Σφακιανάκης on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2u8Md0x
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