title: What are the benefits and the pitfalls of preoperative fasting?
abstract: Preoperative fasting has been a traditional practice for many years to reduce the risk of aspiration while the patient is under general anaesthetic and to eliminate the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Although it is generally accepted that fasting is beneficial, the fasting regimens that patients undergo are not dependent on the individual patient or the timing of their operation.
authors.affiliation: Worthing Hospital.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Webb
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology; D005215:Fasting / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000209:etiology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing