Fasting
These fasting guidelines are adapted from the recommendations in ‘Perioperative fasting in adults and children’ published by the European Society of Anaesthesiology1.
Adults patients
The recommendations for adult patients are as follows:
Adults and children should be encouraged to drink clear fluids (including water, pulp-free juice and tea or coffee without milk) up to 2 h before elective surgery.
Solid food should be prohibited for 6 h before elective surgery in adults and children.
It is safe for patients (including diabetics) to drink carbohydrate-rich drinks up to 2 h before elective surgery.
Paediatric patients
Recommendations for paediatric patients:
Adults and children should be encouraged to drink clear fluids (including water, pulp-free juice and tea or coffee without milk) up to 2 h before elective surgery.
Infants should be fed before elective surgery. Breast milk is safe up to 4 h and other milks up to 6 h. Thereafter, clear fluids should be given as in adults.