Incidence of adverse respiratory events after adjustment of clear fluid fasting recommendations to 1 h: a prospective, observational, multi-institutional cohort study

Abstract

Background

Preoperative fasting reduces the risk of pulmonary aspiration during anaesthesia, and 2-h fasting for clear fluids has commonly been recommended. Based on recent evidence of shorter fasting times being safe, the Swiss Society of Paediatric Anaesthesia began recommending 1-h fasting for clear fluids in 2018. This prospective, observational, multi-institutional cohort study aimed to investigate the incidence of adverse respiratory events after implementing the new national recommendation.

Methods

Eleven Swiss anaesthesia institutions joined this cohort study and included patients aged 0–15 yr undergoing anaesthesia for elective procedures after implementation of the 1-h fasting instruction. The primary outcome was the perioperative (defined as the time from anaesthesia induction to emergence) incidence of pulmonary aspiration, gastric regurgitation, and vomiting. Data are presented as median (inter-quartile range; minimum–maximum) or count (percentage).

Results

From June 2019 to July 2021, 22 766 anaesthetics were recorded with pulmonary aspiration occurring in 25 (0.11%), gastric regurgitation in 34 (0.15%), and vomiting in 85 (0.37%) cases. No major morbidity or mortality was associated with pulmonary aspiration. Subgroup analysis by effective fasting times (<2 h [n=7306] vs ≥2 h [n=14 660]) showed no significant difference for pulmonary aspiration between these two groups (9 [0.12%] vs 16 [0.11%], P=0.678). Median effective fasting time for clear fluids was 157 [104–314; 2–2385] min.

Conclusions

Implementing a national recommendation of 1-h clear fluid fasting was not associated with a higher incidence of pulmonary aspiration compared with previously reported data.