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A member asked:
Why are you not supposed to eat or drink anything for 6 hours prior to having a general anaesthetic?
5 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Aspiration: With general anesthesia, the patient is rendered unconscious. This causes you to lose your cough and gag reflexes so if there's any food in your stomach, it may make its way into your lungs and cause a very serious pneumonia. Having an empty stomach decreases the risk of this serious adverse event.
Answered 1/3/2015
5k views
Prevent aspiration: During anesthesia you might regurgitate stomach contents. Since the airway reflexes are also anesthetized, this might enter the trachea and lungs where it can cause pneumonia. It is safest to avoid oral intake, however the anesthesiologist can take precautions when surgery is necessary in a shorter time frame.
Answered 11/11/2014
5k views
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