A Long Period Of Fasting May Be Unnecessary For Children Undergoing Surgery

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 29 Oct 2009 - 6:00 PST

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Blood glucose levels in many 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 published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this problem. A group from Turkey investigated whether children should undergo surgery without a long period of fasting 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, blood 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 up to 2 hours 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 hours before elective surgery. The authors believe that there is no need for more than 2 hours of fasting before inguinoscrotal region surgery.

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

Source: Jin-Lei Wang
World Journal of Gastroenterology