FASTING GUIDELINES

Your safety is central to everything we do. As such, we want to ensure that you have not eaten or drunk anything prior to your surgery as specified below. The rationale for pre-operative fasting is that all sedative and anaesthetic drugs will impair the protective reflexes that prevent stomach contents from being regurgitated into your lungs (“aspiration”). Aspiration can cause very serious illness, and one of the ways we minimise this risk is to ensure you are appropriately fasted.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists’ endorses the following fasting and fluid instructions for healthy patients having elective surgery:

Note: “Clear fluids” includes a glass of water, black tea, black coffee, apple juice without pulp, clear cordial, rehydration drinks or iceblocks.

For adults

If you are coming to hospital from home on the same day of the procedure:

  1. You must not eat any food for 6 hours before the time you have been told to arrive at the hospital.
  2. You should drink clear fluids until 1 hours before the time you have been told to arrive at the hospital.
  3. After you arrive in hospital you may SIP CLEAR FLUIDS SLOWLY up to one small cup (200mL) per hour.
  4. You must stop sipping fluids when you leave the ward to go to the operating theatre or procedure room.

If you are already admitted to hospital:

  1. You must not eat any food for 6 hours before your surgery.
  2. After this time, you can SIP CLEAR FLUIDS SLOWLY up to one small cup (200mL) per hour.
  3. You must stop sipping fluids when you leave the ward to go to the operating theatre or procedure room.

For children

Children over 6 months of age may have the following prior to anaesthesia:

  • Up to 6 hours prior – limited solids / formula / cow’s milk
  • 4 hours prior – breast milk
  • Clear fluids may be sipped slowly until the time the child leaves the ward to go to theatre (maximum 3 mL/kg/per hour)

Infants under 6 months of age may have the following prior to anaesthesia:

  • Up to 4 hours prior – formula
  • 3 hours prior – breast milk
  • Clear fluids may be sipped slowly until the time the child leaves the ward to go to theatre (maximum 3 mL/kg/per hour)

It is important to follow these instructions before you have your procedure or surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital.

Clear fluids include:

  • Water Black Coffee (filtered, sugar is ok), NO MILK
  • Black Tea, Black Herbal Tea (filtered), NO MILK
  • Clear apple juice (not cloudy) Cordial
  • Rehydration drinks or Iceblocks – CLEAR

MEDICATIONS AND FASTING

You will generally receive specific instructions about which of your usual medications you should continue taking on the morning of your surgery, and you should still take these with a sip of water (even while you are otherwise fasting).

Diabetics will also receive specific instructions regarding their medications.

If you have any questions, please contact the Pre-admission Clinic (02 9463 1413 during business hours). 

If you are not appropriately fasted, your surgery will be delayed or cancelled.