Key Learning Points:
- Shorter fasting times significantly improved PPPM scores on
post-operative day 1.
- Even in the shorter fasting time group, patients’ fasting times were
on average 1.5 hours longer than instructed.
- There were lower pain scores in the shorter fasting time group on
post-operative days 1-3, however this was not statistically
significant.
- There were slightly higher rates of post-operative nausea/vomiting in
the shorter fasting time group, however not statistically significant.
- There was less use of oxycodone post-operatively in the shorter
fasting time group, although not statistically significant.
1. Introduction: In the mid-1990’s a gap in understanding
prompted a group of surgeons, led by Dr Henrik Kehlet from Copenhagen,
to devise and implement early recovery efforts for certain surgeries.
Building upon Dr Kehlet’s work, a multinational group of surgeons and
anaesthetists started the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery(ERAS) research
group. Interest in perioperative protocols has become increasingly used
for colorectal surgery and gynaecologic surgery(2).
In the past two decades, protocols have been developed that have been
found to reduce hospital length of stay, decrease infections and lower
readmission rates(3). These protocols have been developed most notably
for colorectal surgery and have taken hold across the United Kingdom,
the United States and the European continent.
Tonsillectomy is a common operation associated with a high incidence of
postoperative pain and significant postoperative nausea and vomiting. We
seek to investigate a whether the length of fasting is associated with
pain and return to normal function after tonsillectomy.