Turning aggravation into a PSA

[Silvertears1275]

Here's my little public service announcement for the day:

When you're scheduled for surgery, they tell you not to eat or drink after midnight (or sometimes for 8 hours prior to surgery if you're scheduled late in the day).  That means - don't eat or drink. Period.

There's a reason for this.  It's not to torture you or your child if they are the one having surgery.  It's not some overly-cautious rule.  But, working in an outpatient surgery center, I know that people don't take it seriously. Heck, this morning my own husband didn't take it very seriously but luckily I do and we canceled my daughter's surgery.

The anesthetic medications you receive tend to make you nauseous.  If you have an empty stomach, and end up vomitting, you just dry heave.  No big deal.  If you have something on your stomach, even water, it comes up and you risk aspirating - or inhaling into your lungs - whatever was in your stomach.  This can cause pneumonia.  This can cause you to DIE.  Even chewing gum or sucking on a breath mint is dangerous as it increases saliva and stomach acids and you are still at risk for aspiration.

We had a patient just last week who threw up during their procedure and it looked like they had made a pitstop at McDonalds on the way to surgery.  Luckily, they were fine, but honestly - is the risk of dying worth avoiding a few hunger pangs?  Is risking pneumonia worth that cup of coffee, even if you are a grouchy bear until you get some caffeine? 

[comfycouch]

Apr. 8, 2010 at 5:37 PM

This is so true and very important!  I'll never understand why people don't follow the directions of their medical professionals.  If you are not going to do what they say, why even bother to go!

[Wyndi]

Apr. 8, 2010 at 9:00 PM

that happened to a friend of mine and she died from complications of aspirating stomach acids into her lungs. I take that advice extremely serious. Oh and my husband did not have nice words to say about what your husband allowed her to eat prior to surgery.

[dwinkie72]

Apr. 8, 2010 at 10:13 PM

i sort of understood the reasoning behind no eating or drinking x amount of hours before surgery. but ive always followed the rules no matter how hungry i was.