patients that they cannot have anything to eat or drink after midnight
the night before the procedure, recent literature has shown that it is
not necessarily a good thing to have patients arriving at your center
dehydrated and in starvation mode. Instead, consider letting them
take liquids up to 2 hours before surgery. Supplementing with a high-
carbohydrate liquid has been shown to improve surgical outcomes
and improve the mood of patients heading into procedures, while
keeping risk of aspiration low.
Tips for successful implementation
The process sounds simple enough: Screen patients before scheduling
their surgery and then work with a registered dietitian or nutritional
specialist to ensure they are no longer malnourished when they arrive
at your center. On the
day of the procedure,
let the patient have a
carbohydrate-rich
drink up to 2 hours
before surgery. The
actual implementation
of this, however, can
be difficult. Here are
some tips for a suc-
cessful nutrition-
screening program:
1. Don't make it a
burden for surgeons.
When I work with
facilities to implement
the Strong for Surgery
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