Abstract

Gastric volume is influenced by the rate of gastric secretions (approx. 0.6ml/kg/hour), swallowing of saliva (1ml/kg/hour), ingestion of solids/liquids, and the rate of gastric emptying. In anaesthesiology and acute care medicine, there is a growing interest in bedside evaluation of gastric fullness to assess pulmonary aspiration risk. With the advent of portable ultrasound machines, performing point-of-care ultrasound has become relatively easy and feasible. Methodology: The study was done in all operation theatres of a tertiary medical college and hospital and the duration of the study was from November 2019 to August 2021. The sample size taken was 111 patients. All consenting patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study. After taking a written informed consent and noting down relevant comorbidities the patient`s epigastrium was scanned in supine as well as right lateral decubitus position with a curvilinear ultrasound probe to note the gastric antral cross-sectional area. Result: Our study showed that fasting for more than 6–10 hours does not guarantee an empty stomach irrespective of whether they have co‑morbidities. Those with comorbidities like DM, CKD and obesity appear more prone to have increased gastric volume and contents. The obese patients with diabetes were found to be at greatest risk of having a full stomach. Conclusion: Bedside ultrasound is an important tool in determining the status of stomach contents and could prove to be a tool used for stratification of aspiration risk.

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