Metabolic and Inflammatory Benefits of Reducing Preoperative Fasting Time in Pediatric Surgery

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the metabolic/inflammatory impact of reducing the preoperative fasting time in preschool children. Methods: Forty children were randomly assigned to a fasting group (absolute fasting after 00:00) and a carbohydrate (CHO) group (allowed to ingest, two hours before surgery, a carbohydrate-rich beverage). Blood samples were collected right before and after surgery to quantify the levels of albumin, interleukin-6, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein and to calculate insulin resistance by the HOMA-IR index. Results: Preoperative fasting time in the CHO group were shorter than in the fasting group (2.49h vs. 11.24h, p