I'm about to have my wisdom teeth removed. As I was signing forms I noticed in big bold letters: DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING 8 HOURS BEFORE SURGERY \ may cause death. I was curious if anyone knows how eating before surgery could cause death.
2007-12-19 03:27:52 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Dental
You could aspirate on your food, which is just a polite way of saying you could throw up and gag.
It is crucial that all the patients not have any FOOD OR LIQUIDS after midnight before the day of surgery. The
reason for requiring an empty stomach prior to surgery is the
following. The medications you receive could make you
nauseous and vomit. In a sedated state, your body’s protective defenses don’t work, and the vomit could
accidentally be aspirated into your lungs, causing a life
threatening pneumonia. Failure to adhere to these fasting
guidelines could cause your surgery to be delayed or
cancelled. These fasting guidelines do not include certain
medications, which should be taken the morning of surgery with a little water.
2007-12-19 03:31:13 · answer #1 · answered by $Sun King$ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Eating Before Anesthesia
2016-11-15 00:14:28 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
What makes eating before going under anesthesia dangerous?
I'm about to have my wisdom teeth removed. As I was signing forms I noticed in big bold letters: DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING 8 HOURS BEFORE SURGERY \ may cause death. I was curious if anyone knows how eating before surgery could cause death.
2015-08-24 09:43:05 · answer #3 · answered by Chanda 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anesthesia can upset the stomach and in the middle of the procedure you could vomit and asperate the vomit into your lungs.
I am a dental hygienist at a childrens practice and we sedate children 2 days a week for dental work. If the Anesthesologist knows the child ate- the will not sedate them.
2007-12-19 03:33:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because anesthesia can, in some cases, make people nauseous (people react in different ways). If they vomit during the procedure, they could aspirate some of the vomitus into their lungs and THAT would cause quite a problem -- suffocation, infection, inflammation, etc.
2007-12-19 03:31:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe, but am not sure, that it has something to do with the food coming back up and choking the person under anaethesia. It would be difficult to clear the airway and basically you would choke on your own vomit. I do not know this for a fact but I think I heard it somewhere.
2007-12-19 03:31:58 · answer #6 · answered by stef 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having any kind of anesthesia which renders you unconscious is terribly dangerous and engramic.
2007-12-19 03:31:15 · answer #7 · answered by jmattiesmufc 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's because if you puke while you're unconscious you will choke.
It may or may not happen but if you dont eat it makes things easier all round.
Also, they make you remove your nail varnish as they check the color of your nail beds to make sure you're still alive and have enough oxygen in your blood.
And you have to take your piercings out in case anything goes wrong and they have to shock you with the paddles, any metal jewellery in you would burn you.
2007-12-19 03:37:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anesthetic basically paralyzes you. So if you have no control over you body and its' reactions and you have food in your stomach, you could vomit/choke and inhale your vomit. Should that happen, and theres vomit in your lungs this can become very serious. You would develop a pneumonia and this could lead to death.
2007-12-19 03:46:17 · answer #9 · answered by jennifer k 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of the above answers are correct and accurate.
Besides they like to see you hungry.
Best of luck on your wisdom teeth surgery!
2007-12-19 05:14:10 · answer #10 · answered by Dr. Dave 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋