title: Relationship between gastrointestinal transit time and anesthetic fasting protocols in the captive chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lengthy social separation and prolonged fasting time contribute to increased risks associated with anesthesia in captive primates. This study is an initial attempt to identify a safe pre-anesthetic fasting procedure by identifying gastric emptying time (GET) and gastrointestinal transit time (GTT) of captive chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven adult chimpanzees at the North Carolina Zoo immobilized for annual physical examinations were fed barium-impregnated polyethylene spheres to measure GET. Eleven animals were individually fed a color dye marker and fecal passage was observed to determine GTT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gastric emptying time (GET) was approximated to be >3 hours but <16 hours. The mean GTT was 16.5 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that a fasting time of 3 hours would allow for complete gastric emptying and could potentially replace the current overnight fast (≥16 hour) to help minimize complications associated with pre-anesthetic fasting in captive primates.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, USA. amanda.ardente@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardente
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chinnadurai
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Voe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stringer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saker
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000502:physiology*; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011859:Radiography; D013997:Time Factors; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D001464:Barium; D020959:Polyethylene