Effects of fasting and preoperative feeding in children.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether children should undergo surgery without a long period of fasting after feeding.


METHODS
Eighty children with inguinoscrotal disorders (aged 1-10 years) were studied prospectively. They were divided into eight groups that each contained 10 children who were fed normal liquid food (NLF) and a high-calorie diet (HCD) 2, 3, 4 and 5 h before surgery, in two doses at 6-h intervals. NLF was given to four groups and HCD to the other four. In all groups, glucose, prealbumin and cortisol levels in the blood were measured twice: just after oral feeding and just before the operation. After the establishment of adequate anesthesia, gastric residue liquid was measured with a syringe.


RESULTS
Blood glucose levels in all patients fed NLF and HCD were high, except in patients in the HCD-4 group. There was no significant difference in the blood prealbumin levels. There was a significant increase in the blood cortisol levels in the NLF-2 (14.4 +/- 5.7), HCD-2 (13.2 +/- 6.0), NLF-3 (10.9 +/- 6.4), and HCD-5 (6.8 +/- 5.7) groups (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The stress of surgery may be tolerated by children when they are fed up to 2 h before elective surgery.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Meram Medical School of Selcuk University, Konya 42080, Turkey. muslimyurtcu@hotmail.com
Muslim
M
Yurtcu
Engin
E
Gunel
Tahir Kemal
TK
Sahin
Abdullah
A
Sivrikaya
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D002149:Energy Intake; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D011228:Prealbumin; D006854:Hydrocortisone