Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents can occur after vomiting or passive regurgitation, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Avoidance of general anaesthesia should be considered to reduce the risk of aspiration in high risk situations.

Write down suggested starvation times for elective surgery for the foods listed in the following table:

Food	Starvation time before surgery (hours)
Clear fluids (e.g. water, black tea, coffee)
Breast milk
Bottle or cow's milk
Light meal
Chewing gum

Answer

Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents can occur after vomiting or passive regurgitation, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Avoidance of general anaesthesia should be considered to reduce the risk of aspiration in high risk situations.

Write down suggested starvation times for elective surgery for the foods listed in the following table:

Food	Starvation time before surgery (hours)
Clear fluids (e.g. water, black tea, coffee)	2
Breast milk	4
Bottle or cow's milk	6
Light meal	6
Chewing gum	6

Chewing gum, chewing tobacco and fizzy or non-clear fluids should be counted as food.

See the preoperative fasting guidelines on the Resources page for more information.