title: Pre-operative oral erythromycin reduces residual gastric volume and acidity.
abstract: We investigated whether low-dose erythromycin (200 mg) given as an oral premedicant altered the residual gastric volume and its acidity in fasted patients at induction of anaesthesia in a single-blinded study. Sixty patients were allocated randomly to receive either an erythromycin tablet (200 mg) or nothing with 10 ml water 3 h before induction of anaesthesia, and another 60 patients 1 h before induction of anaesthesia. Oral erythromycin significantly reduced residual gastric volume when it was given approximately 3 h (P<0.05; 95% CI for median difference: 0.1-17 ml) or 1 h (P<0.0005; 95% CI for median difference: 6-24 ml) before induction of anaesthesia. Erythromycin significantly reduced gastric acidity when it was given 1 h before induction of anaesthesia (P<0.02; 95% CI for median pH difference: 0.1-1.7). In contrast, when given 3 h before induction of anaesthesia, erythromycin did not significantly alter acidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi City, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shingu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011292:Premedication; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D004917:Erythromycin