Preoperative Fasting Instructions (Adults)

For patients undergoing elective surgery or other procedures requiring anaesthesia. The latter includes patients who require general anaesthesia or sedation for procedures such as GI endoscopy, X-ray investigations, bone marrow harvests, insertion of portacaths/central venous lines, etc.

Fasting before anaesthesia aims to reduce the volume and acidity of stomach contents thus decreasing the risk of regurgitation and aspiration. There is good evidence that maintaining oral intake with clear fluids up to 2 hours before surgery is both safe and advantageous.

Perioperative Fasting Instructions:

ALL patients should be instructed to drink clear fluids up until 2 hours before the scheduled start time of the list.
Patients on AM lists should be instructed not to take SOLID food for 6 hours before the scheduled start time of the list.
Patients on PM lists may have a light breakfast 6 hours before the scheduled start time of the list.
Other food or fluids may be consumed ONLY on the instructions of an Anaesthetist.

Clear fluids means water and clear non-particulate fruit juice only.

Light breakfast means a small quantity of toast or cereal with tea, coffee, or other drink.

Milk is considered as solids.

Reference: Soreide E, Ljungqvist O. Modern preoperative fasting guidelines: Best Practice and Research Clinical Anaesthesiology (2006); 20 (3): 483-491.


Information about this CDHB document (1300):
Document Owner:	Blue Book Editorial Committee (see Who's Who)
Issue Date:	December 2013
Next Review:	December 2015
Keywords:
Note: Only the electronic version is controlled. Once printed, this is no longer a controlled document.
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Topic Code: 1300