You are scheduled to undergo an operation or procedure requiring general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or sedation/analgesia (i.e., monitored anesthesia care) and in order to ensure the safe conduct of your anaesthetic, it is essential that you follow the instructions given below.
N. B. In the following instructions, clear fluids include water, glucose water, Ribena, fruit juices without pulp like apple juice, carbonated beverages, clear tea (without milk), and black coffee (without milk). These liquids should not include alcohol, milk, Milo, or soups.
1.
If your procedure is scheduled for the morning list, do not take
any solid foods from the midnight before your procedure,
but if your procedure is scheduled for the afternoon
list, you should have a light
breakfast e.g. a maximum of 2 slices of bread (without butter or margarine) or 4
pieces of biscuits with clear fluids before 7:30 a.m.
2. You may have clear fluids up to 2 hours before the scheduled time of your procedure.
|
Ingested
Material |
Minimum
Fasting Period |
|
Clear fluids |
2 hours |
|
Breast milk |
4 hours |
|
Infant formula or other non-human milk |
6 hours |
|
Light meal 1 |
6 hours |
|
1
A light meal typically consists of toast (without butter or margarine) and
clear liquids. Meals that include fried or fatty foods or meat may prolong
gastric emptying time to 8 hours or more. |
|
Please follow the above guidelines to help us ensure that your anaesthetic is a safe and uneventful one.
If you are very obese, are suffering from diabetes, hiatus hernia, reflux oesophagitis, bowel diseases, or airway problems or are having an emergency procedure, the above recommendations may not apply to you and you should get further advice from the surgeon or anaesthetist taking care of you.