title: Preoperative and postoperative fasting in children.
abstract: This article addresses the preoperative fast in the context of its historic background, the physiology of gastric emptying, and recent clinical studies. A rationale is developed for minimizing the traditional preoperative fasting interval for elective surgery. The timing and the necessity for patients to resume ingesting clear liquids in the postoperative period is also explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Schreiner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005215:Fasting; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors