Summary Fasting is necessary to minimise the risk of aspiration; however, prolonged paediatric fluid fasting is associated with negative peri‐operative effects. We evaluated the effect of a collaboratively designed ice block intervention to improve paediatric fluid consumption in the pre‐operative room. This project took place in Te Tai Tokerau (Northland, New Zealand). The intervention involved offering children an ice block on arrival in the pre‐operative room. Audits were performed pre‐intervention, 6 weeks and 18 months post‐intervention. The primary outcome was the proportion of children consuming clear fluid in the pre‐operative room. Secondary outcomes included fluid fasting times and children's pre‐operative experiences. Datasets were analysed using ANOVA and the chi‐squared test. Post‐intervention, more children consumed clear fluid in the pre‐operative room (13% versus 83% versus 95%; p = 0.002) due to more nurses offering (51% versus 87% versus 98%; p < 0.001) and fewer children declining clear fluid (56% versus 2% versus 3%; p = 0.007). The mean fluid fasting time decreased (10 h versus 3 h versus 2 h; p < 0.001), fewer children reported feeling hungry or thirsty (51% versus 15% versus 15%; p < 0.001) and more children reported feeling good or happy (2% versus 43% versus 30%; p < 0.001). This intervention increased clear fluid consumption in the pre‐operative room, reduced fluid fasting time and optimised children's pre‐operative experience, with sustained effect over 18 months. Future initiatives should focus on prehospital interventions to improve fluid consumption before leaving home on the day of surgery.
Wong et al. (Thu,) studied this question.