Publication
Title
Term pregnant patients have similar gastric volume to non-pregnant females : a single-centre cohort study
Author
Abstract
Background: The physiological changes of pregnancy can increase the risk of peri-partum pulmonary aspiration. There is limited objective information regarding gastric volumes in pregnant patients. The aim of this cohort study was to characterise prospectively the range of gastric-fluid volume in term non-labouring pregnant patients compared with a historical cohort of non-pregnant females. Methods: Fasted non-labouring term pregnant patients scheduled for elective Caesarean delivery underwent a standardised gastric ultrasound examination. Gastric content was evaluated qualitatively (type of content), semiquantitatively (Perlas grades), and quantitatively (volume). The antral cross-sectional area and volume were compared with those of a retrospective cohort of non-pregnant females from the same institution. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the central tendency through mean and median values. Dispersion was evaluated with standard deviation and inter-quartile range, and the higher end of the distribution as 95th percentile. Results: Non-labouring pregnant (59) and non-pregnant (81) subjects were studied. The range of estimated total gastricfluid volume (P = 0.96) and volume per body weight (P = 0.78) was not significantly different between cohorts. An estimated volume of 115 ml (102-143) vs 136 ml (106-149) and volume per body weight of 1.4 ml kg(-1) (1.2-2.8) vs 2.0 ml kg(-1) (1.5-2.7) corresponded to the 95th percentile (95% confidence interval) values in the pregnant and non-pregnant cohort, respectively. Conclusions: Baseline gastric volume of non-labouring pregnant patients at term is not significantly different from that of non-pregnant females. This information will be helpful to interpreting findings of gastric point-of-care ultrasound in obstetric patients.
Language
English
Source (journal)
British journal of anaesthesia. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : Elsevier , 2019
ISSN
0007-0912 [print]
1471-6771 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.BJA.2018.07.025
Volume/pages
122 :1 (2019) , p. 79-85
ISI
000453927600024
Pubmed ID
30579409
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 18.01.2019
Last edited 09.10.2023
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