Clinical Research Directory

Gastric Emptying After a Yoghurt Breakfast in Children: a Pilot Study

Sponsor: Baskent University Ankara Hospital

Summary

Children are asked to fast before anaesthesia to reduce the amount of material remaining in the stomach. Prolonged fasting can cause hunger, thirst and discomfort. Although shorter fasting intervals have been introduced for clear fluids and breast milk, less is known about how quickly a light yoghurt breakfast leaves the stomach. Yoghurt differs from clear fluids in its nutrient content and semi-solid consistency. The primary aim of this study is to compare gastric emptying after three versus four hours of fasting following yoghurt intake in 24 children aged 1 to 10 years undergoing elective upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under anaesthesia at Baskent University Faculty of Medicine Ankara Hospital. Children will be randomly allocated to two equal groups. They may eat yoghurt freely up to a maximum of 150 g; there is no prescribed fixed or weight-based dose, and the amount actually eaten will be recorded. Ultrasound will assess stomach contents at the assigned fasting interval. If the stomach has not emptied according to the study criterion, the assessment will be repeated at 10-minute intervals before proceeding with anaesthesia. Gastric contents will also be assessed directly during endoscopy. The clinicians performing ultrasound and endoscopy will not know the assigned group; the anaesthetist will know it. The primary outcome is the proportion of children with an empty stomach at the first ultrasound assessment, compared between the three-hour and four-hour groups. The primary hypothesis is that a three-hour interval after yoghurt intake will yield a similar proportion of empty stomachs to a four-hour interval. Secondary outcomes include estimated gastric volume, endoscopic findings, hunger, and agreement between ultrasound and endoscopic assessment.

Official title: Gastric Emptying After a Yoghurt Breakfast in Children Undergoing Anaesthesia: a Pilot Study Using Ultrasonography and Endoscopy

Key Details

Conditions

Interventions

Locations (1)