Relationship of preoperative fasting time with vital signs and type and dose of analgesic in pediatrics

According to studies, children are often kept fasting in intervals longer than the standard fasting time, which can lead to complications for them. So, there was little and contradictory evidence about fasting time and its complications, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative fasting time with vital signs and the type and dose of analgesic in pediatrics.

In this cross-sectional research, 192 children aged between 6-36 months were surveyed in a specialized center for children. Children were examined through a researcher-made form in terms of preoperative fasting time, the type and dose of analgesic, as well as post-operative respiratory rate, pulse rate, and temperature through observation, pulse oximetry, and tympanic thermometer.

The mean fasting time was 8.09 hours. Fasting time was higher in children who took Apotel (P=0.03). The fasting time was significantly and directly related to the dose of Apotel and also to the total dose of the three drugs (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). The mean body temperature of children who fasted for more than six hours was significantly lower than other children (P<0.001).

The fasting time of children was more than standard times. Using a higher dose of Apotel and the total higher dose of three analgesic drugs suggests the existence of more pain in patients with longer fasting times. Moreover, increased fasting time led to a decrease in the temperature in pediatric patients. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the fasting time of children to prevent the complications associated with it.