Description

The ASA and ESA practice guidelines recommend a 2-hour fasting period for clear fluid (including water, pulp-free juice and tea or coffee without milk), a 4- hour fasting period for breast milk and a 6-hour fasting period for non-human milk and solid food to reduce risks of pulmonary aspiration. While the ESA guideline suggests 3 ml/kg of clear oral fluids intake as a start point, the ASA does not suggest the allowable amount of ingested fluids/food volume.

According to the current consensus statement from the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, the European Society of Paediatric Anaesthesiology and L'Association Des Anesthésistes-Réanimateurs Pédiatriques d'Expression Française on clear fluids fasting for elective pediatric general anesthesia in February 2018, this 3 ml/kg volume would mean patients ages 1-5 years old are allowed up to 55 ml, 6-12 years old up to 140 ml and greater than 12 years old up to 250 ml. The European consensus also suggests 1 hour clear fluid fasting for children as a practical way to reduce fasting times without increase aspiration risks.

To prevent preoperative dehydrated states which result in preoperative irritable behavior and intraoperative hypotension, patient fasting states and volume status should be optimized. Schmitz et al showed results of gastric emptying time of less than 30 minutes in healthy 6-14 years old children who had serial MRI scan every 30 minutes up to 120 minutes after drinking 7ml/kg of diluted raspberry syrup in 2011, the published clinical evidence suggested that clear fluids are absorbed to gastric volume of 1 ml/kg after 1 hour without pulmonary aspiration. Gawecka et al. also found no aspiration in ASA I and II children who were assigned to received 10ml/kg of 12.6% oral carbohydrate solution two hours before induction of anesthesia. Those studies showed no pulmonary aspiration event. However; pulmonary aspiration of gastric content is still a mainly concern for anesthesiologists when patients ingested large fluid volume. Previous studies reported incidences of aspiration range from1 to 10:10,000 cases and few cases require intensive care and respiratory support. The liberal clear fluid intake volume has been demonstrated to have similar risk of pulmonary aspiration as fasting patients.

The investigators propose a prospective randomized study on the relationship between assigned amount of clear oral fluid intake (ml/kg) and actual intra-gastric volume and pH of pediatric surgical patients. This study will be done at BCH's Gastroenterology Procedure Unit (GPU). Patients' demographic data will be obtained from charts. Patients will be randomly assigned to drink specific amount of fluid at 2 hours period before scheduled time. Patients or parents will be asked for other type, volume and time of last fluid/food intake. Actual intragastric volume and pH will be measured by the research team from the intragastric content that is removed at the beginning EGD procedures.

The investigators hope to demonstrate the relationship between volume of clear fluid intake at the 2-hour period before induction of anesthesia and actual intragastric volume which provide sufficient evidence of allowable clear fluid intake volume. Finally, the investigators want to use this study information to optimize standard fasting guidelines, to improve patients' preoperative volume status, to increase patient satisfaction and maintain patient safety.