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J U LY 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
ANESTHESIA ALERT
Starvation and dehydration
Not only does fasting from midnight cause unnecessary metabolic
stress for patients, but it also makes them needlessly and often
extremely uncomfortable. Merely drinking water, tea or coffee does
not interrupt the metabolic fast. We're still literally starving and dehy-
drating our patients. They're still hungry, thirsty, anxious, nauseated
and generally uncomfortable as they face the major stress of surgery.
There are a couple explanations at work:
•
Fear of regurgitation and aspiration.
There is the non-evidence-based
fear that healthy patients who ingest a clear liquid 2 to 3 hours before sur-
gery are at higher risk of regurgitation and aspiration. The assumption is
that, following such ingestion, the patient's residual gastric volume (RGV)
and/or residual gastric acidity (RGA) will be greater than that of patients
Ever since anesthesiologist M. Lou Marsh, MD, found
that most surgery postponements and cancellations
were due to violations of the pre-op fasting rules, she's
focused on her 2 passions: pre-op patient hydration
and nutrition. She formulated and patented a clear liq-
uid, carbohydrate-rich, pre-op beverage, Clearfast,
which is designed for patient consumption 2 hours
before surgery. Clearfast is quickly absorbed by the
body, leaving the stomach empty and the patient not
starving. Patients who had Clearfast 2 to 3 hours pre-
op versus those who fasted traditionally from midnight
were 6 times more likely to describe themselves as
comfortable, studies have found.
— Dan O'Connor
PRE-OP BEVERAGE
The Inventor of a Pre-Surgery Drink
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