Gastric Content After 6 vs 4 Hours of Preoperative Fasting in Children

Children must fast for a certain period of time before anesthesia and surgery to reduce the risk of food residues being vomited up and ending up in the trachea (so-called aspiration). But there are disadvantages to fasting for a long time before an operation, for example the blood sugar level can drop and the body can become dehydrated. Small children risk such side effects to a greater degree than adults, and therefore international work is underway to revise the rules for fasting before surgery. Enteral feeding children are a special risk group because they are usually completely dependent on tube feeding for nutrition and fluid intake.