Preoperative fasting among children who undergoing surgery

Abstract

Background. This review aims to discuss the definition of preoperative fasting in terms of gastric emptying in children prepared for surgery, to discuss the conflict between preoperative fasting duration and volume, and to explain the benefits and hazards associated with fasting which may contribute to physical distress or well-being. Materials and methods. A search in CINAHL, EBSCO, Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, and the MЕDLINE database was conducted. The search generated 150 articles, 17 articles were included in this review. Results. The review revealed that preoperative fasting is one of the safe measures that should be concerned by all health care providers, at the same time focusing on the comprehensive assessment before surgery which helps in the prediction of hazards that may expose children to dangers. Conclusions. A major conflict is to have a policy for preoperative fasting, so new guidelines for children who undergo surgery should be applied and implemented.