ASA updates preop fasting guidelines

Editor's Note

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has updated its 2017 guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration.

The new 2023 guidance focuses on topics not addressed in the previous guideline, including ingestion of carbohydrate-containing clear liquids with or without protein, chewing gum, and pediatric fasting duration.

The guidelines' task force recommends having a robust effort at each facility to disseminate and discuss the new information in this document and to educate all patient care teams, including members of the anesthesiology and surgical teams, preoperative clinic personnel, preoperative nurses, and hospital floor nurses on the updates.