IMMEDIATE DISCONTINUATION OF INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS AFTER COMMON SURGICAL PROCEDURES

BACKGROUND: Intravenous (IV) fluids and nasogastric (MG) intubation can be discarded safely in some abdominal operations, but this practice seems rare in our community. SETTING: A University teaching hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia. AIMS: To determine the feasibility of the practice in our setting and increase clinicians’ awareness of it and encourage its general adoption. METHOD: A prospective verification study in consecutive ASA Classes I and II adult patients scheduled for four commonly performed operations. END POINTS: The practice was considered successful if the patient accepted early oral fluids and did not require re-insertion of IV line. RESULTS: The operations studied were appendicectomy (44), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (35), herniorrhaphy (19) and diagnostic laparoscopy (2). The patients’ mean age was 34.1 years (range 14 to 68); 60% were males. The overall success rate was 98%. Thus postoperative IV fluids proved to be unnecessary in these patients; cost savings were achieved and treating teams were freed to focus on other patients who truly required IV fluids. CONCLUSIONS: In our setting also, routine IV fluids are unnecessary and can be discarded safely after appendecectomy, cholecystectomy and herniorrhaphy in adults.