Evaluation of the “Sip Til Send” Regimen Before Elective Caesarean Delivery Using Bedside Gastric Ultrasound: A Paired Cohort Pragmatic Study

( Eur J Anaesthesiol . 2024;41(2):129–135. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0000000000001926) Preoperative fasting is commonly recommended to prevent the risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during anesthesia. The European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) advises fasting for 6 hours for solids and 2 hours for liquids prior to surgery (eg, caesarean delivery, CD). However, a long fasting period can impart both maternal and neonatal risk. As such, the liberal drinking “Sip Til Send” protocol has been widely used in the United Kingdom and Ireland with no associated pulmonary aspiration cases reported. This study aimed to assess residual gastric volumes in nonlaboring parturients presenting for elective CD and compare volumes in fasted patients to volumes after the same patients were allowed liberal oral hydration. The authors hypothesized there would be no significant difference in gastric volumes.