An Audit on the Pre-operative Fasting Time of Trauma-List Orthopaedic Patients at a District General Hospital in Chichester, United Kingdom

Introduction: Pre-operative fasting of patients awaiting non-emergency surgeries has been a common practice to minimise the risk of vomiting and aspiration at the time of induction of anaesthesia. Current standard guidelines recommend that this fasting time be limited to two hours for clear fluids and six hours for solids and semi-solids, as prolonged fasting has been shown to be harmful to the patient. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the fasting times of all adult trauma orthopaedic patients who were operated on under anaesthesia between June 1 and 30, 2023. Fifty patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Results: The minimum and maximum fasting times observed for solids and semi-solids were 9 and 24 hours, respectively. The mean fasting time for solids and semi-solids was 15.8 hours. The minimum and maximum fasting times observed for clear fluids were 2 and 20 hours, respectively. The mean fasting time for clear fluids was 10.5 hours. Elderly patients accounted for a significant portion of the patients, with 64% (n=32) being above the age of 70 years. Conclusion: A significant disparity was noted between the current fasting practices and the recommended standards set out by the Royal College of Nursing, the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, the European Society of Anaesthesiology, and the American Society of Anaesthesiologists. The knowledge of pre-operative fasting among the orthopaedic team doctors and the ward nursing staff was found to be inadequate.