Fasting Before Surgery and Medical Procedures
How to Fast Correctly and Reduce Anaesthetic Risks
Sep 2, 2009
Fasting for medical procedures such as surgery, biopsy and endoscopy means to not eat or drink anything at all. This includes bubblegum, throat lozenges, cough syrups and sweets that dissolve in the mouth. The chewing action of the jaw and glucose in the confectionery or remedies promotes the production of saliva and gastric juices in the stomach. Correct fasting ensures the stomach is empty and there are no gastric contents to enter the lungs when the patient is anaesthetised.
The fasting required for safe outcomes in medical procedures is therefore quite different to fasting for religious reasons. Followers of some faiths choose to fast on certain days or times of the year, but it is dangerous to confuse religious fasting with fasting for medical reasons. In a religious context, the term fasting may only mean abstaining from certain types of foods or limiting the size or frequency of meals.
Practical Tips For Successful Fasting
Always carefully check the instructions given by the doctor or hospital for the time to start fasting. It is common to fast from midnight for morning surgery. For afternoon surgery the patient may be allowed to have a light breakfast, but only if specified by the hospital or medical professional; make sure to note the time by which eating and drinking must be completed and fasting begun.
If instructed to fast from midnight, any food, cups or glasses should be removed from the bedroom as the patient could forget and start snacking or drinking if they wake during the night. If inclined to be sleepy and not very alert first thing in the morning, leaving notes in various places to jog the memory can help. The patient should ask family members and housemates to remind them about fasting.
Medications and Fasting for Medical Procedures
It is essential to follow the doctor’s advice exactly. If fasting from midnight, it is likely doctor will instruct the patient to take their usual morning medications with a sip of water. Diabetic patients will be given specific instructions regarding their diabetes medication and/or insulin dosages; as they will not be eating the dose will be reduced or with-held altogether. It is vital that the fasting diabetic patient alerts the nursing staff immediately if they experience any symptoms of hypo-glycaemia while awaiting surgery.
Careful Fasting to Reduce Anaesthetic Risks
To avoid cancellation on the day of surgery, remember to keep fasting before and after arrival at the hospital. Depending on the type of procedure and anaesthetic to be given, the doctor may ask the patient to fast but allow them to drink water only until a specified time. If the patient forgets to fast, ring the hospital to find out if the operation needs to be re-scheduled to a later time or another date.
It is extremely important to be honest about fasting as there is potential for life-threatening complications if a patient is anaesthetised without sufficient fasting time. If the fasting patient has anything to eat or drink by mistake, even gum, the time and amount consumed should be noted and the medical staff made aware as soon as possible. The anaesthetist can then make an informed decision about the timing of surgery for the patient's safety and well-being.
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