Preoperative fasting
Preoperative Fasting
Preoperative fasting (pronunciation: pre-op-er-a-tive fast-ing) is a clinical practice designed to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia.
Etymology
The term "preoperative" is derived from the Latin words "prae" meaning "before" and "operare" meaning "to work". "Fasting" comes from the Old English "fæstan", meaning "to fast, observe, be strict".
Definition
Preoperative fasting is the practice of a patient abstaining from oral food and fluid intake for a certain period before an anesthetic procedure. This is intended to prevent pulmonary aspiration of stomach contents during general anesthesia.
Guidelines
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines recommend a fasting period of at least two hours for clear liquids and at least six hours for light meals before elective procedures requiring general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or procedural sedation and analgesia.
Related Terms
- Pulmonary aspiration: The entry of material from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract into the larynx (voice box) and lower respiratory tract (the portions of the respiratory system from the trachea—i.e., windpipe—to the lungs).
- General anesthesia: A medically induced coma with loss of protective reflexes, resulting from the administration of one or more general anaesthetic agents.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA): An educational, research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and to improve patient care.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Preoperative fasting
- Wikipedia's article - Preoperative fasting
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