Comparative ultrasound study of gastric emptying between an isotonic solution and a nutritional supplement

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Preoperative fasting may lead to undesirable effects in the surgical patient in whom there is a stimulus to ingesting clear liquids until 2 hours before anesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the gastric emptying of two different solutions using ultrasound. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized, blind study, 34 healthy volunteers ingested 200 mL of two solutions without residues in two steps: an isotonic solution with carbohydrates, electrolytes, osmolarity of 292 mOsm.L(−1), and 36 kcal; and other nutritional supplementation with carbohydrates, proteins, electrolytes, osmolarity of 680 mO.L(−1), and 300 kcal. After 2 hours, a gastric ultrasound was performed to assess the antrum area and gastric volume, and the relation of gastric volume to weight (vol.w(−1)), whose value above 1.5 mL.kg(−1) was considered a risk for bronchoaspiration. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between all parameters evaluated 2 hours after the ingestion of nutritional supplementation compared to fasting. The same occurred when the parameters between isotonic solution and nutritional supplementation were compared 2 hours after ingestion. Only one patient had vol.w(−1) <1.5 mL.kg(−1) 2 hours after ingestion of nutritional supplementation; and only one had vol.w(−1) >1.5 mL.kg(−1) after ingestion of isotonic solution. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that gastric emptying of equal volumes of different solutions depends on their constitution. Those with high caloric and high osmolarity, and with proteins present, 2 hours after ingestion, increased the gastric volumes, which is compatible with the risk of gastric aspiration.