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(*hypothetical patient)
You have a young woman booked for an emergency D&C for a miscarriage. She is in a lot of discomfort from the misoprostol given earlier that day. She hasn’t eaten for exactly 6 hours but feels a bit nauseated and has had some oxycodone during the day. According to the 6 hour rule you assume she should be fasted – but she has had opioids because of her pain and you wonder whether she does still have solids in her stomach and will it be safe to just use a supraglottic ariway or should you give her an RSI and used a cuffed endotracheal tube? Is there anyway you can get more information to help you make a decision??
Hi Everyone,
This week I am joined by Dr Mark Sharples to discuss gastric ultrasound a fascinating technique which could be the new frontier in perioperative aspiration risk assessment.
USEFUL LINKS
NAP4 – airway audit project in the UK
2 thoughts on “034 – Gastric ultrasound in anaesthesia with Dr Mark Sharples”
Thanks Roger and Mark
It was a little under a year ago that I was soundly rebuked by a senior Anaesthesia doctor for even suggesting this was an option! It makes perfect sense to ask:
“What is in the stomach?” rather than “when did you last eat?”
The former is the better question!
Casey
Thanks Casey, I agree it does make more sense but I guess most of us aren’t proficient / confident in gastric ultrasound and so I suspect that it will take awhile before it becomes used more commonly. Great stump the chumps case by the way!