>So I looked it up and apparently the guideline is actually a 2 hours fast for clear liquids! 2 hours![7] The hospital staff, however, hardened their hearts. Nurses said to ask the surgeons. The surgeons said to ask the anestheologists. It wasn’t until 7am that the anestheologists said, yep, you can drink a (small) glass of water.
Ah, this takes me back to my medical officer days. No junior doctor ever got into trouble for telling a patient to fast a bit too long, and many do for having a heart and letting them cut it short. It is also likely the least consequential thing we can bother the anesthetists about, and it’s not going to kill anyone to wait longer (usually).
Knowing the local demographic and behavioral tendencies on LW, I think it might worth noting that ozempic/semaglutide and other GLP drugs can cause delayed gastric emptying. As a consequence, even the standard fasting duration might not be adequate to fully empty your stomach. If you’re scared of getting aspiration pneumonia, it’s worth mentioning this to your surgeon or the anesthetist. The knowledge hasn’t quite percolated all the way up the chain, so you can’t just assume they’re aware.
>So I looked it up and apparently the guideline is actually a 2 hours fast for clear liquids! 2 hours![7] The hospital staff, however, hardened their hearts. Nurses said to ask the surgeons. The surgeons said to ask the anestheologists. It wasn’t until 7am that the anestheologists said, yep, you can drink a (small) glass of water.
Ah, this takes me back to my medical officer days. No junior doctor ever got into trouble for telling a patient to fast a bit too long, and many do for having a heart and letting them cut it short. It is also likely the least consequential thing we can bother the anesthetists about, and it’s not going to kill anyone to wait longer (usually).
Knowing the local demographic and behavioral tendencies on LW, I think it might worth noting that ozempic/semaglutide and other GLP drugs can cause delayed gastric emptying. As a consequence, even the standard fasting duration might not be adequate to fully empty your stomach. If you’re scared of getting aspiration pneumonia, it’s worth mentioning this to your surgeon or the anesthetist. The knowledge hasn’t quite percolated all the way up the chain, so you can’t just assume they’re aware.
That seems incredibly important, so I’ve added to the main text. Thanks!