Preoperative fasting time and reasons for prolongation in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| dc.contributor.advisor | Indris,Semira(MD) | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Habulu,Bonsa(MD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Aregawi,Yoseph | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-08-13T07:04:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-08-13T07:04:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Preoperatively all patients, including pediatric patients are ordered to fast for a specified duration in fear of perioperative aspiration. However, the risk of aspiration is recently being reported to be minimal and the actual duration of fasting in these patients is longer than the recommendations resulting in discomfort and possible metabolic derangements intraoperatively. Methods: An institution-based prospective cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed on 252 pediatric patients between the ages of 1 day to 12 years who are scheduled to undergo elective surgery at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. The parents or caregivers were asked the time and type of the last feeding of the child when the child came to the OR and further information was gathered from the patient chart. Parent’s level of information about NPO times and reasons behind any deviation from recommendation were also recorded. Data was collected using interviews and descriptive analysis with mean and standard deviation used followed by binary logistic regression used to identify associated factors in prolongation. Results: Two hundred fifty-two participants were included. The mean and SD of actual fasting times were 10.23 ±3.7 hours for clear fluids, 6.1±2.06 hours for breast milk and 12.39±2.8 hours for light food. 92.3% of children had prolonged actual fasting times to clear fluids above 2 hours from recommendation while its 40% and 81% when it comes to breastmilk and light food, respectively. 30.2% of the parents blame inappropriate information and order delivered preoperatively by the treating team as the cause for their child fasting longer. Age of the child, and appropriateness of information delivered to the caregivers was found to significantly affect actual fasting times of children. Conclusion: Pediatric patients scheduled to undergo elective surgery are subjected to unnecessarily prolonged fasting times above the recommendation put forth by ASA which is found to be influenced by age of the child and appropriateness of information delivered to the caregivers. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/6581 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | |
| dc.subject | Preoperative | |
| dc.subject | fasting time | |
| dc.subject | Pediatric patients | |
| dc.subject | Elective surgery | |
| dc.title | Preoperative fasting time and reasons for prolongation in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | |
| dc.type | Thesis |