What the guideline covers
The main areas examined by the guideline are:
- preoperative fasting in healthy adults
- preoperative fasting in healthy children
- preoperative fasting in higher-risk adults
- preoperative fasting in higher-risk children
- postoperative resumption of oral intake in healthy adults
- postoperative resumption of oral intake in healthy children
Recommendations for good practice, based upon the best available evidence of clinical effectiveness, are presented.
Recommendations contained in this resource are those considered to be central to perioperative fasting care.
This is a guide to that management, not a textbook of care. Health care professionals should use their clinical judgement in support of these evidence-based recommendations.