Should children undergo surgery without a long period of fasting after feeding?

Blood glucose levels in a lot of patients fed normal liquid food (NLF) and a high calorie diet (HCD) were high. There was no significant difference in the blood prealbumin levels. There was a significant increase in the blood cortisol levels in some patients. The stress of surgery may be tolerated by children by feeding up to 2 h before elective surgery.

A research article to be published on October 21, 2009 in the addresses this question. A group from Turkey investigated whether children should undergo surgery without a long period of after feeding. The routine use of perioperative oral dietary supplements in patients about to undergo gastrointestinal surgery confers no clinical or functional benefit. This routine is now being questioned, because fasting causes discomfort and unnecessary problems with routine oral medication.

In this study, glucose levels increased and stomach residue liquids were at a tolerable level in all patients fed NLF and an HCD. The results indicated that children can tolerate the stress of surgery when they are fed until 2 h before surgery, because there was no difference regarding stomach residue and metabolic changes among patients that underwent surgery after fasting for short and long periods.

These results demonstrate that the stress of surgery may be tolerated by children by feeding up to 2 h before elective surgery. The authors believe that there is no need for more than 2 h of fasting before inguinoscrotal region surgery.

More information: Yurtcu M, Gunel E, Sahin TK, Sivrikaya A. Effects of fasting and preoperative feeding in . World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(39): 4919-4922, www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/15/4919.asp

Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology (news : web)

Citation: Should children undergo surgery without a long period of fasting after feeding? (2009, October 28) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2009-10-children-surgery-period-fasting.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Fasting before surgery not necessary

 shares

Feedback to editors