• H Walker, C Thorn, and M Omundsen.
• Department of Anaesthesia, Wellington Hospital, New Zealand.
• Anaesth Intensive Care. 2006 Jun 1; 34 (3): 358-61.

AbstractWe aimed to assess elective day surgery patients' understanding of the reason for pre-operative fasting. One hundred adult patients presenting to the peri-operative unit for day procedures requiring general anaesthesia were surveyed before discharge. All day-stay, adult patients able to complete a questionnaire in English were included. Only 22% (95%CI [14,31]) of patients correctly understood why fasting was necessary. Patients who did not understand were nearly five times more likely to underrate the importance of compliance (risk ratio 4.65, 95%CI [1.2,18]). Two per cent (95%CI [0.2,7]) of patients reported actual non-compliance, and 4% (95%CI [1,10]) stated they would consider misrepresenting their fasting status if it was inconvenient for them to have their surgery postponed. The results of this study suggest a need to better inform day surgery patients about the reason for pre-operative fasting. A better understanding of the need for pre-operative fasting may lead to improved compliance and patient safety.

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