This prospective observational study sought to assess the rate of full and empty stomach in elective and emergency patients and to determine the factors associated with full stomach.
Non-premedicated ...patients were consecutively included between May 2014 and October 2014. Ultrasound examination of the gastric antrum was performed by an operator blinded to the history of the patient. It included measurement of the antral cross-sectional area, performed in the supine position with the head of the bed elevated to 45°, and qualitative assessment of the gastric antrum, performed in both semirecumbent and right lateral decubitus positions. Full stomach was defined by the appearance of any gastric content in both positions (Grade 2). Empty stomach was defined either by empty antrum in both positions (Grade 0) or by empty antrum in the semirecumbent position only (Grade 1) with measured antral area <340 mm2. The combination of Grade 1 and antral area >340 mm2 defined intermediate stomach. Logistic regression analyses were performed for the identification of factors associated with full stomach.
Four hundred and forty patients were analysed. The prevalence of full stomach was 5% (95% confidence interval: 2–9) in elective patients and 56% (95% confidence interval: 50–62) in emergency patients (P<0.0001). Obesity, diabetes mellitus, emergency surgery, and preoperative consumption of opiates were independent factors predictive of full stomach.
The results suggest that preoperative ultrasound assessment of gastric content should be performed in all emergency patients, and in elective patients with identified predictive factors for full stomach.
Summary
We assessed the impact of raising the upper section of the bed, and patient positioning, on ultrasound assessment of gastric fluid contents. We performed ultrasound examinations in 25 ...subjects lying on their back, left and right sides at bed angles of 0°, 30°, 45° and 90°; this was carried out while the subjects were fasted, and repeated 10 min after drinking ≥ 50 ml water. After drinking, gastric contents were detected more frequently in the 45° semirecumbent position compared with the supine and 30° positions. The diagnostic performance of the Perlas qualitative grading scale to detect gastric fluid volume > 1.5 ml.kg−1 was improved at 45°, compared with 0° and 30° angles. The use of a composite ultrasound grading scale at a 45° angle was associated with the best performance, with a sensitivity and specificity of 82%. Antral cross‐sectional area was significantly increased when measured in the right lateral position, but there was no effect of raising the bed. In conclusion, raising the upper section of the bed significantly affected qualitative assessment of gastric fluid contents. Further studies are required to determine the most appropriate composite ultrasound grading scale and bed angle for fast and reliable qualitative ultrasound detection of fluid volumes > 1.5 ml.kg−1.
Medication errors are not uncommon in hospitalized patients. Paediatric patients may have increased risk for medication errors related to complexity of weight-based dosing calculations or problems ...with drug preparation and dilution. This study aimed to determine the incidence of medication errors in paediatric anaesthesia in a university paediatric hospital, and to identify their characteristics and potential predictive factors.
This prospective incident monitoring study was conducted between November 2015 and January 2016 in an exclusively paediatric surgical centre. Children <18 yr undergoing general anaesthesia were consecutively included. For each procedure, an incident form was completed by the attending anaesthetist on an anonymous and voluntary basis.
Incident forms were completed in 1400 (73%) of the 1925 general anaesthetics performed during the study period with 37 reporting at least one medication error (2.6%). Drugs most commonly involved in medication errors were opioids and antibiotics. Incorrect dose was the most frequently reported type of error (n=27, 67.5%), with dilution error involved in 7/27 (26%) cases of incorrect dose. Duration of procedure >120 min was the only factor independently associated with medication error adjusted odds ratio: 4 (95% confidence interval: 2–8); P=0.0001.
Medication errors are not uncommon in paediatric anaesthesia. Identification of the mechanisms related to medication errors might allow preventive measures that can be assessed in further studies.
Evacuation of gastric content through a nasogastric tube, followed by rapid sequence induction, is usually recommended in infants undergoing pyloromyotomy. However, rapid sequence induction may be ...challenging, and is therefore controversial. Some anaesthetists regularly perform classical non-rapid induction technique, after blind aspiration of the gastric contents, although this aspiration may have been incomplete. This prospective observational study aimed to assess whether the ultrasound monitoring of the aspiration of the stomach contents, may be useful to appropriately guide the choice of the anaesthetic induction technique, in infants undergoing pyloromyotomy.
Infants undergoing pyloromyotomy were consecutively included. Ultrasound assessment of the antrum was performed before and after the aspiration of the gastric contents through a 10 French gastric tube. The stomach was defined as empty when no content was seen in both supine and right lateral positions. The correlation between antral area and the aspirated gastric volume was also tested.
We analysed 34 infants. Ultrasound examination of the antrum failed in three infants. The stomach was empty in 30/34 infants (nine before aspiration, 21 after aspiration), allowing to perform a non-rapid induction technique in 88.2% of the infants. There was a significant correlation between antral area measured in right lateral decubitus and the aspirated gastric volume.
Our results suggest that the qualitative ultrasound assessment of the antral content may be a simple and useful point-of-care tool, for the choice of the most appropriate anaesthetic technique for pyloromyotomy according to the estimated risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents.
Current fasting guidelines allow oral intake of water up to 2 h before induction of anaesthesia. We assessed whether gum chewing affects gastric emptying of 250 ml water and residual gastric fluid ...volume measured 2 h after ingestion of water.
This prospective randomized observer-blind crossover trial was performed on 20 healthy volunteers who attended two separate study sessions: Control and Chewing gum (chlorophyll flavour, with 2.1 g carbohydrate). Each session started with an ultrasound measurement of the antral area, followed by drinking 250 ml water. Then, volunteers either chewed a sugared gum for 45 min (Chewing gum) or did not (Control). Serial measurements of the antral area were performed during 120 min, and the half-time to gastric emptying (t½), total gastric emptying time, and gastric fluid volume before ingestion of water and 120 min later were calculated.
Gastric emptying of water was not different between sessions; the mean (sdsd) t½ was 23 (10) min in the Control session and 21 (7) min in the Chewing gum session (P=0.52). There was no significant difference between sessions in gastric fluid volumes measured before ingestion of water and 120 min later.
Chewing gum does not affect gastric emptying of water and does not change gastric fluid volume measured 2 h after ingestion of water.
NCT02673307.
Summary
Ultrasound examination of the gastric antrum is a non‐invasive tool that allows reliable estimation of gastric contents. We performed this prospective cohort study in non‐elective paediatric ...surgery to assess whether gastric ultrasound may help to determine the best anaesthetic induction technique, whether rapid sequence or routine. The primary outcome was the reduction of inappropriate induction technique. A pre‐operative clinical assessment was performed by the attending anaesthetist who made a provisional plan for induction. Gastric ultrasound was performed in the semirecumbent and right lateral decubitus positions for a qualitative assessment of gastric contents, using a 0–2 grading scale. A final induction plan was made based on this assessment. Immediately after tracheal intubation, gastric contents were suctioned through a multi‐orifice nasogastric tube; these were defined as above risk threshold for regurgitation and aspiration if there was clear fluid > 0.8 ml.kg−1, and/or the presence of thick fluid and/or solid particles. Gastric ultrasound was feasible in 130 out of 143 (90%) of children, and led to a change in the planned induction technique in 67 patients: 30 from routine to rapid sequence, and 37 from rapid sequence to routine. An appropriate induction technique was therefore performed in 85% of children, vs. 49% planned after pre‐operative clinical assessment alone (p < 0.00001). Our results suggest that gastric ultrasound is a useful guide to the general anaesthetic induction technique with respect to the risk of pulmonary aspiration, in comparison with pre‐operative clinical assessment alone.
Summary
There is increasing evidence that a minority of adults with acute appendicitis have gastric contents, posing an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration. This study aimed to evaluate the ...proportion of children with acute appendicitis who have gastric contents considered to pose a higher risk of pulmonary aspiration. We analysed point‐of‐care gastric ultrasound data routinely collected in children before emergency appendicectomy in a specialist paediatric hospital over a 30‐month period. Based on qualitative and quantitative antral assessment in the supine and right lateral decubitus positions, gastric contents were classified as ‘higher‐risk’ (clear liquid with calculated gastric fluid volume > 0.8 ml.kg−1, thick liquid or solid) or ‘lower‐risk’ of pulmonary aspiration. The 115 children studied had a mean (SD) age of 11 (3) years; 37 (32%; 95%CI: 24–42%) presented with higher‐risk gastric contents, including 15 (13%; 95%CI: 8–21%) with solid/thick liquid contents. Gastric contents could not be determined in 13 children as ultrasound examination was not feasible in the right lateral decubitus position. No cases of pulmonary aspiration occurred. This study shows that gastric ultrasound is feasible in children before emergency appendicectomy. This technique showed a range of gastric content measurements, which could contribute towards defining the risk of pulmonary aspiration.
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