title: FASTING IN ELECTIVE SURGICAL PATIENTS: COMPARISON AMONG THE TIME PRESCRIBED, PERFORMED AND RECOMMENDED ON PERIOPERATIVE CARE PROTOCOLS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolonged preoperative fasting may impair nutritional status of the patient and their recovery. In contrast, some studies show that fasting abbreviation can improve the response to trauma and decrease the length of hospital stay.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Investigate whether the prescribed perioperative fasting time and practiced by patients is in compliance with current multimodal protocols and identify the main factors associated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study with 65 patients undergoing elective surgery of the digestive tract or abdominal wall. We investigated the fasting time in the perioperative period, hunger and thirst reports, physical status, diabetes diagnosis, type of surgery and anesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients were between 19 and 87 years, mostly female (73.8%). The most performed procedure was cholecystectomy (47.69%) and general anesthesia the most used (89.23%). The most common approach was to start fasting from midnight for liquids and solids, and most of the patients received grade II (64.6%) to the physical state. The real fasting average time was 16 h (9.5-41.58) was higher than prescribed (11 h, 6.58 -26.75). The patients submitted to surgery in the afternoon were in more fasting time than those who did in the morning (p<0.001). The intensity of hunger and thirst increased in postoperative fasting period (p=0.010 and 0.027). The average period of postoperative fasting was 18.25 h (3.33-91.83) and only 23.07% restarted feeding on the same day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients were fasted for prolonged time, higher even than the prescribed time and intensity of the signs of discomfort such as hunger and thirst increased over time. To better recovery and the patient's well-being, it is necessary to establish a preoperative fasting abbreviation protocol.
authors.affiliation: Odilon Behrens Municipal Hospital, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors.forename: Saionara Cristina
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.affiliation: Odilon Behrens Municipal Hospital, Belo Horizonte, MG.
authors.forename: Sandra Teixeira
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geórgia das Graças
authors.initials: Gd
authors.lastname: Pena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult