Traditional perioperative starvation

Description

Aiming at minimizing aspiration of gastric contents and its life threatening consequences, nil per os (NPO) order for clear fluid and solids overnight or 6–8 h preoperatively has been adopted by many anesthetists and surgeons. This practice, however, does not take into consideration the differences in the rate of gastric emptying for clear liquids and solid food. Moreover, traditional NPO practice does not take into account patients (at risk) of aspiration and patients who are not at risk