2007-01-26 19:34:07 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
the anesthesiologist will instruct you to have nothing per orem at least six hours before surgery, the reason why an empty stomach is required is because os Mendelsons syndrome ( aka aspiration pneumonia )... during induction of general anesthesia there is a short period where the airway is unprotected if there is reflux of gastric contents, this occurs after the patient has slept and before the trachea is intubated ( tube in airway ),,, nothing per orem, antacids are some of the things we do do to lessen the risk of aspiration, even when regional anesthesia is contemplated the patient is still advised to be NPO ( nothing per orem ) 6-8 hours before surgery, sedation may be required in which case airway may be unprotected... in emergency situations wherein surgery may be required and the patient has a full stomach, we do what we call a ( RSI ) rapid sequence induction and intubation, in this case the time frame wherein the airway is unprotected is much shorter... i guess your next question would be why not do RSI all the time ? in RSI, there is still a risk of aspiration, furthermore, RSI carries with it an inherent risk because your induction time is rendered shorted the anesthetic is not as deep as one one have when doing a " normal " induction... attenuation of laryngeal responses to intubation ( tube in trachea ) are not blunted enough, may cause spasm of the airway, very high increases in high rate ( detrimental especially to patients with myocardial ischemia ) ...etc... however, the benefit you get when doing RSI in patients with full stomachs far outweights its negative effects...
PS ; somebody cited a journal where physicians where feeding patients before surgery, pls read that article carefully, those patients were undergoing surgery under LOCAL anesthesia...
2007-01-26 20:01:48 · answer #1 · answered by Clive Roland 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The anesthetic can make you sick while under which will cause a big problem for the surgeon as this will then need to be dealt with while perhaps you are OPEN. Also if stomach contents get to the lungs then this could cause burning of the lung tissue and you would then be very ill indeed. You could also choke to death on the vomit. So just take the advice of the hospital and do not eat or drink.
2007-01-26 19:53:34 · answer #2 · answered by ANF 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The practice of fasting was begun to prevent vomiting with the anesthesia. While surgery and anesthesia have both changed since, this practice hasn't. A study presented at the 21st Annual Conference of the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) in 1999, suggests that not only are there no increased complications from feeding before surgery, but that those who do get a carbohydrate beverage feel better and recover more quickly! This is consistent with experience in Canada, where some physicians have been giving lemonade before surgery for ten years. Another benefit of nutrition! Wouldn't it be wonderful if further research confirms these findings, and the traditional "nothing by mouth" becomes a thing of the past!
2007-01-26 19:52:05 · answer #3 · answered by ♥@n$ 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
You need to be 'nil by mouth' for a number of hours prior to surgery so that you can undergo a general anaesthetic if needs be. Even if you're having a local or spinal, you will still need to be nil by mouth in case anything changes and you need the GA. With a GA a tube is passed into the lungs to administer oxygen and the anaesthetic gas. When anaesthetised, the cardiac sphincter (a band of muscle at the top of the stomach that stops contents being regurgitated) relaxes, and stomach contents can wash into the lungs, where the stomach acid will then destroy lung tissue. Not at all pleasant, and is life threatening.
2007-01-26 19:41:10 · answer #4 · answered by cottagencountry 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of the effects of anesthesia is nausea. If there is anything in your stomach you will vomit. If you vomit while anesthetized you will choke and die.
Once I had eaten a full meal and then had emergency surgery. The surgery itself was minor and short, but I had to have anesthesia. As soon as they put me out the put a fat tube down my throat into my lungs (its called intubation) so that they could give me the anesthesia and so that if I heaved it would not go into my lungs. While I was out I heaved and heaved, against that tube. I have never in my life had such pain as that throat I woke up with! The surgery was nothing!
Oh and that must have been great for the people taking care of me during the time I was out. Sheesh.
2007-01-26 19:46:47 · answer #5 · answered by Arlosmom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't eat or drink before surgery because if your stomach or bladder are full they could knick them and cause even more problems then what you went into surgery for. Same with taking aspirin or drinking alcohol before surgery....they can make your blood thinner and cause you to have massive bleeds. Not safe.
2007-01-26 19:40:01 · answer #6 · answered by mrs_me19 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
6-8 hours before surgery you cannot eat or drink anything at all. the reason for this is because during surgery anesthesia is given to you to numb you from the pain accompanying the surgical procedure. anesthesia causes you to lose your gag reflex (reflex to swallow), if you have eaten something, you may aspirate yourself to death on the OR table. :-)
2007-01-26 19:42:03 · answer #7 · answered by terra 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because if you choke or vomit while you are under you could aspirate into your lungs. You'll get puke in your lungs basically.
2007-01-26 19:41:14 · answer #8 · answered by hstoic01 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
to prevent you from being sick while under the anaesthetic and the risk of choking
2007-01-26 19:38:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
"You've gotta eat. You need your strength."
Thumbs up if you know what I'm talkin about.
But seriously you could vomit, choke and die.
2007-01-26 19:40:37 · answer #10 · answered by alwaysmoose 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋