Journal of clinical nursing
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To evaluate current evidence to determine whether oral preoperative carbohydrate drinks shorten hospital stays, reduce insulin resistance and/or improve postoperative discomfort for patients undergoing abdominal or cardiac surgery. ⋯ Patients undergoing surgery are often required to fast from midnight, while in some extreme cases patients are fasted for up to 24 hr prior to surgery. The main purpose of asking patients to undergo this prolonged fasting is to reduce the risk of aspiration. However, there is a general consensus that this traditional practice is out of date, and it is often associated with postoperative complications. On the other hand, current evidence suggests oral intake of fluids up to 90-180 min prior to surgery is safe and consumption of a preoperative carbohydrate drinks does not delay gastric emptying or affect gastric acidity.
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To identify critical aspects of nursing competence to care for older patients in the context of municipal in-patient acute care. ⋯ This study illustrates the nurses' responsibility for older patients' safety and quality of care in the MAUs. These findings can act as a foundation for the development and adaptation of educational programmes to accommodate requirements for nursing competence in MAUs. The broad perspective of nursing competence can give directions for quality improvements in MAUs.