Evaluation of an Educational Event Recommending Consumption of Carbohydrate Clear Liquids Before Surgery

Abstract

The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society has developed guidelines based on evidence to improve patient outcomes and decrease complications after surgery. One of the components of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines includes encouraging certain patients undergoing elective surgery to drink carbohydrate clear liquids two hours before surgery. Furthermore, the American Society of Anesthesiologists suggests that fasting guidelines for elective surgery patients include clear liquids up to two hours before surgery. The previous tradition before the publication of these guidelines was to instruct surgical patients not to eat or drink for eight hours before surgery. The current recommendations of clear liquids two hours before surgery are not being used by a local Phoenix area hospital. The facility still uses the traditional practice of nothing by mouth for eight hours. The aim of this project was to identify barriers and provide education to anesthesia providers at the facility on carbohydrate clear liquids two hours before surgery. This project was focused on delivering an educational presentation regarding the new fasting guidelines. The first survey collected information regarding participant demographics and current practice habits regarding fasting guidelines of participants. In conjunction with an educational event, a pre and post assessment were administered to detect changes in knowledge and attitudes attributed to the presentation regarding the consumption of clear carbohydrate beverage two hours before surgery. The results from the pre-survey to post-survey showed an increase in knowledge about the practice of carbohydrate clear liquids two hours before surgery. The results also showed that the majority of anesthesia providers felt a policy should be developed for the facility to incorporate carbohydrate clear liquids two hours before surgery into practice.