Preoperative Fasting and Recovery in Surgical Patients: The Relationship Between Mobilization, Discharge Time, and Demographic Factors.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between preoperative fasting duration and postoperative mobilization, discharge time, and demographic factors in surgical patients.

DESIGN

Descriptive and cross-sectional study.

METHODS

This study was conducted between March 2022 and June 2023 at a training and research hospital. The study involved 88 patients who had undergone elective surgery with general anesthesia in clinics specializing in general surgery, orthopedics, and neurosurgery. Ethical committee approval and written consent from patients were obtained before the commencement of the study. Various forms were used to collect data, including the Postoperative Complication Follow-up Form, the Numeric Pain Scale, the Numeric Satisfaction Scale, and the Postoperative Recovery Index (PRI). The statistical analysis used descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests for non-normally distributed data.

FINDINGS: The mean age of the patients was 55.54 ± 14.6 years, with 58% of the cohort female. The preoperative fasting duration ranged from 9 to 12 hours for 46.6% of patients, while 75% were required to abstain from oral fluids and 48.9% were instructed to avoid solid food for a period of between 16 and 24 hours. The most prevalent postoperative complications were dry mouth (15.9%) and nausea (11.4%) in the gastrointestinal system, headache (21.6%) in the neurological system, and hypertension (8%) in the circulatory system. The mean pain level on the first postoperative day was 5.9 ± 2.4, while on the fifth day it was 0.63 ± 1. The mean satisfaction score on the first postoperative day was 8.8 ± 1.6. There were significant differences in PRI scores between the first postoperative day and discharge in relation to preoperative intravenous fluid intake, total oral fluid, and solid food restriction periods. PRI scores decreased from the first postoperative day to discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that the length of preoperative fasting and how much liquid and solid food was restricted after surgery affected recovery. Common postoperative problems were dry mouth, nausea, headaches, and hypertension. PRI score declines showed better recovery at discharge. Oral nutrition support should be given soon after surgery to prevent prolonged fasting.