Impact of oral carbohydrate consumption prior to cesarean delivery on preoperative well-being: a randomized interventional study

Trends in preoperative carbohydrate load practice: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The preoperative carbohydrate load (PCL) is intended to improve surgical outcomes by reducing the catabolic state induced by overnight fasting. However, there is disagreement on the optimal PCL prescription, leaving local institutions without a standardized PCL recommendation. Results from studies that do not prescribe PCL in identical ways cannot be pooled to draw larger conclusions on outcomes affected by the PCL. The aim of this systematic review is to catalog prescribed PCL characteristics, including timing of ingestion, percentage of carbohydrate contribution, and volume, to ultimately standardize PCL practice.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Randomized controlled trials were included if they studied at least one group of patients who were prescribed a PCL and the PCL was described with respect to timing of ingestion, carbohydrate contribution, and total volume.

RESULTS

A total of 67 studies with 6551 patients were included in this systematic review. Of the studies, 49.3% were prescribed PCL on the night before surgery and morning of surgery, whereas 47.8% were prescribed PCL on the morning of surgery alone. The mean prescribed carbohydrate concentration was 13.5% (±3.4). The total volume prescribed was 648.2 ml (±377).

CONCLUSION

Variation in PCL practices prevent meaningful data pooling and outcome analysis, highlighting the need for standardized PCL prescription. Efforts dedicated to the establishment of a gold standard PCL prescription are necessary so that studies can be pooled and analyzed with respect to meaningful clinical end points that impact surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Optimizing Postoperative Clinical Outcomes in Spinal Surgery Through Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate Loading: A Case-control Study

PURPOSE

Preoperative oral carbohydrate loading is a component of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate loading on postoperative clinical outcomes in spinal surgery patients.

DESIGN

This is a prospective case-control study.

METHODS

This study was conducted with patients who underwent spinal surgery from October 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021 in a neurosurgery clinic of an education and research hospital. The intervention group (n = 46) ingested 800 mL oral carbohydrate drinks at least 8 hours before surgery. The postoperative clinical outcomes were nausea, vomiting, antiemetic and analgesic drug medication, inflammation, and bleeding. The first flatus and defecation time, oral intake time, mobilization time, and length of stay in hospital were assessed postoperatively. Adverse events were monitored up to 24 hours postoperatively. The control group (n = 46) underwent routine fasting protocols.

FINDINGS

Lower rates of vomiting and bleeding during and after surgery and earlier defecation time and first mobilization time were determined in the intervention group, and the difference compared with the control group was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative oral carbohydrate loading is a nonpharmacological intervention that has a positive effect on postoperative clinical outcomes in patients who underwent spinal surgery and should be included in the enhanced recovery after surgery protocol.

Evidence-based cesarean delivery: preoperative management (part 7)

Preoperative preparation for cesarean delivery is a multistep approach for which protocols should exist at each hospital system. These protocols should be guided by the findings of this review. The interventions reviewed and recommendations made for this review have a common goal of decreasing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality related to cesarean delivery. The preoperative period starts before the patient's arrival to the hospital and ends immediately before skin incision. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends showering with either soap or an antiseptic solution at least the night before a procedure. Skin cleansing in addition to this has not been shown to further decrease rates of infection. Hair removal at the cesarean skin incision site is not necessary, but if preferred by the surgical team then clipping or depilatory creams should be used rather than shaving. Preoperative enema is not recommended. A clear liquid diet may be ingested up to 2 hours before and a light meal up to 6 hours before cesarean delivery. Consider giving a preoperative carbohydrate drink to nondiabetic patients up to 2 hours before planned cesarean delivery. Weight-based intravenous cefazolin is recommended 60 minutes before skin incision: 1-2 g intravenous for patients without obesity and 2 g for patients with obesity or weight ≥80 kg. Adjunctive azithromycin 500 mg intravenous is recommended for patients with labor or rupture of membranes. Preoperative gabapentin can be considered as a way to decrease pain scores with movement in the postoperative period. Tranexamic acid (1 g in 10-20 mL of saline or 10 mg/kg intravenous) is recommended prophylactically for patients at high risk of postpartum hemorrhage and can be considered in all patients. Routine use of mechanical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is recommended preoperatively and is to be continued until the patient is ambulatory. Music and active warming of the patient, and adequate operating room temperature improves outcomes for the patient and neonate, respectively. Noise levels should allow clear communication between teams; however, a specific decibel level has not been defined in the data. Patient positioning with left lateral tilt decreases hypotensive episodes compared with right lateral tilt, which is not recommended. Manual displacers result in fewer hypotensive episodes than left lateral tilt. Both vaginal and skin preparation should be performed with either chlorhexidine (preferred) or povidone iodine. Placement of an indwelling urinary catheter is not necessary. Nonadhesive drapes are recommended. Cell salvage, although effective for high-risk patients, is not recommended for routine use. Maternal supplemental oxygen does not improve outcomes. A surgical safety checklist (including a timeout) is recommended for all cesarean deliveries.

Effects of Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate on Perioperative Maternal Outcomes Undergoing Cesarean Section: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Preoperative oral carbohydrate (CHO) is a rapid postoperative rehabilitation protocol that improves perioperative outcomes and is widely used in adult surgical patients. However, pregnant women are excluded because of the possibility of aspiration due to delayed gastric emptying. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative oral CHO in elective cesarean section.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to July 2023. Randomized controlled trials were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models to estimate risk ratios and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The outcomes included thirst and hunger scores, incidence of vomiting and nausea, time to flatus, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

Results

A total of nine studies with 1211 patients were included in the analysis. The levels of thirst and hunger were evaluated using a 10-point visual analog scale, with 0 representing the best and 10 representing the worst. The severity of hunger (weighted mean difference (WMD: -2.34, 95% CI: -3.13 to -1.54), time to flatus (WMD: -3.51 hours, 95% CI: -6.85 to -0.17), and HOMA-IR (WMD: -1.04, 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.77) were significantly lower in the CHO group compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the severity of thirst or the incidence of vomiting and nausea between the CHO and control groups.

Conclusion

Preoperative oral CHO during cesarean section alleviates thirst and hunger, shortens the time of postoperative flatus, and reduces HOMA-IR. However, the available evidence is insufficient to reach a clear consensus on the benefits or harms of preoperative oral CHO during cesarean section. Therefore, it is premature to make a definitive recommendation for or against its routine use.

Oral hydrolyzed whey protein in the perioperative period of cesarean section increases postoperative prolactin in mothers: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to investigate the effect of oral administration of hydrolyzed whey protein during the perioperative period of cesarean section on postoperative prolactin levels and breast milk production in mothers. Methods triple-blind randomized trial was conducted on women who gave birth in a Chinese tertiary care hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to either the hydrolyzed whey protein or placebo group and were administered the respective substances at specific times during the perioperative period. The primary outcomes were prolactin levels and additional fluid milk intake during specific postoperative periods. Secondary observations included mothers’ subjective preoperative feelings and postoperative exhaust time. Results The study found that mothers in the hydrolyzed whey protein group had reduced visual hunger (p=0.002) and anxiety (p<0.001) while having higher neonatal blood glucose levels (p=0.041) compared to the placebo group. This group also had higher prolactin levels (p=0.009) and a reduced the number of milk additions in the first 48 hours of a newborn’s life (No-BreakpNo-Break=0.035). Conclusion Hydrolyzed whey protein intake during the cesarean section perioperative period reduces maternal hunger and anxiety, increases serum prolactin levels 3-4 hours after surgery, increases the infant’s blood glucose level 30 minutes after birth, and reduces milk supplementation in the first 48 hours.

Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate (CHO) Supplementation Is Beneficial for Clinical and Biochemical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Elective Cesarean Delivery under Spinal Anaesthesia-A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Preoperative fasting and surgery cause metabolic stress, insulin resistance with ketosis, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Oral carbohydrate loading strategy (CHO) improves outcomes in labor and general surgery. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of CHO with standard fasting in patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery (CD) under spinal anesthesia.

METHODS

A single-center, parallel, prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in a tertiary university obstetrics department at Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to the CHO group (oral carbohydrate 2 h before elective CD, n = 75) or the SF group (control-standard fasting, n = 73). The main outcome measures were incidence and severity of PONV at 6 and 24 h after CD, time to the first peristalsis, time to first bowel movement, and biochemical parameters indicating ketosis in mothers and their children.

RESULTS

A total of 148 adult females with singleton pregnancies undergoing elective CD under spinal anesthesia (ASA I and II) were included in the final analysis. At 24 h after CD, 8.0% from the CHO group vs. 20.55% reported three or more episodes of vomiting or dry retching as compared to patients in the SF group (p = 0.041). Preoperative CHO supplementation decreased preoperative feelings of hunger (p < 0.001) and thirst (p < 0.001). Laboratory results in the CHO group showed higher plasma pH (p = 0.001) and glucose (p < 0.001), lower F2-isoprostane in plasma (p = 0.049) and urine (p = 0.018), lower urine F2-isoprostane/creatinine ratio (p = 0.045) than in the SF group. HOMA-IR (p < 0.001) and lactate (p < 0.001) were higher in the CHO group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant difference in the incidence or severity of early PONV at 6 h. The incidence of vomiting or dry retching at 24 h after cesarean delivery was lower in the CHO group as compared to standard starvation, but the combined results of PONV frequency and severity on the Wengritzky scale did not differ between the two study groups. Preoperative CHO supplementation decreased preoperative feelings of hunger and thirst, enhancing the comfort of pregnant women.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04069806.

2023 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting: Carbohydrate-containing Clear Liquids with or without Protein, Chewing Gum, and Pediatric Fasting Duration-A Modular Update of the 2017 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting

These practice guidelines are a modular update of the "Practice guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration: Application to healthy patients undergoing elective procedures." The guidance focuses on topics not addressed in the previous guideline: ingestion of carbohydrate-containing clear liquids with or without protein, chewing gum, and pediatric fasting duration.

Practice towards perioperative care of cesarean delivery in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North Central Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study

Background

Perioperative obstetric care is vital in clinical practice to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. The standardized practice of perioperative obstetrics care service has a great role in the reduction of both expected and unexpected adverse outcomes. So, the purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of perioperative obstetric care services based on standards of Enhanced Recovery after Cesarean Delivery and the Society of Anesthesiology and Perinatology.

Method and materials

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 161 mothers with an elective cesarean delivery from August 10, 2021, to May 15, 2022. The standard of this study was taken from evidence-based practice guidelines of perioperative practice for an elective cesarean delivery. Informed consent was taken from all study participants. The data was collected through direct observation using a standard checklist changed to standardized question forms with two checking components (“Yes”, and “No”), and data were entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis and interpretation. Descriptive analysis was done and the results were expressed in numbers and percentages using a table.

Results

A total of 161 elective cesarean sections were involved to identify the level of perioperative care. Administration of first-generation antibiotics prophylaxis, aqueous povidone-iodine solution-based skin preparations, and preparation for immediate neonatal resuscitation were fully performed based on the standards.

Conclusions

The majority of elective caesarian deliveries were carried out below the recommended level as per the checklists for perioperative practice. So, added interventions are needed to improve perioperative obstetrics care services on those standards which are not totally applied and partially performed.

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The overall practice of perioperative obstetrics care was poor.

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Added intervention is needed for those standards performed bellow standards.

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Practice guidelines and standards are required in practice area.

The impact of oral carbohydrate-rich supplement taken two hours before caesarean delivery on maternal and neonatal perioperative outcomes -- a randomized clinical trial

Background

To evaluate the impact of oral carbohydrate-rich (Ch-R) supplement taken 2 hours before an elective caesarean delivery (CD) on maternal and neonatal perioperative outcomes.

Methods

Ninety pregnant women undergoing elective CD were randomized into the Ch-R group, placebo group and fasting group equally. Participants’ blood was drawn at three time points, before intervention, immediately after and 1 day after the surgery to measure maternal and neonatal biochemical indices. Meanwhile women’s perioperative symptoms and signs were recorded.

Results

Eighty-eight pregnant women were finally included in the study. Women who had drunk Ch-R supplement had lower postoperative insulin level (β = − 3.50, 95% CI − 5.45 to − 1.56), as well as postoperative HOMA-IR index (β = − 0.74, 95% CI − 1.15 to − 0.34), compared with women who had fasted. Additionally, neonates of mothers who were allocated in the Ch-R group also had a higher glucose level, compared with neonates of mothers in the fasting group (β = 0.40, CI 0.17 to 0.62).

Conclusion

Oral Ch-R solution administered 2 hours before an elective CD may not only alleviate maternal postoperative insulin resistance, but also comfort women’s preoperative thirst and hunger, compared to fasting. Additionally, it may increase neonatal glucose level as well.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000033163.

Data of Registration: 2020-5-22.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-021-04155-z.

Effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate on postoperative discomfort in patients undergoing elective surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PURPOSE

Fasting is a standard preoperative procedure performed to prevent vomiting and pulmonary aspiration during anaesthesia and surgery. However, fasting can cause postoperative physical and psychological discomfort. Intake of oral carbohydrate (CHO) may mimic the intake of food, which prevents postoperative discomfort. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect and safety of preoperative oral CHO in adult surgical patients.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate a pooled effect size by using random-effects models. The satisfaction outcomes were mouth dryness, hunger, thirst, pain severity, duration of hospitalization, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The safety outcomes were the incidence of aspiration and infection.

RESULTS

In total, 57 RCTs involving 5606 patients were included. The outcomes of mouth dryness, thirst, hunger, and pain were assessed by a 10-point visual analogue scale (0 = best, 10 = worst). The severity of mouth dryness (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -1.26, 95% CI: -2.36 to -0.15), thirst (WMD: -1.36, 95% CI: -2.05 to -0.67), hunger (WMD: -1.66, 95% CI: -2.53 to -0.80), pain (WMD: -0.68, 95% CI: -1.01 to -0.35), duration of hospitalization (WMD: -0.39 day, 95% CI: -0.66 to -0.12), and HOMA-IR (WMD: -1.80, 95% CI: -2.84 to -0.76) were significantly lower in the CHO group than in the control group. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting did not differ between the CHO and control groups. No aspiration was recorded in any of the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CHO can alleviate patient's discomfort without safety concerns. Surgeons and anaesthesiologists should strongly promote preoperative CHO as a strategy to enhance recovery after surgery protocols.

Safety and feasibility of oral carbohydrate consumption before cesarean delivery on patients with gestational diabetes mellitus: A parallel, randomized controlled trial

AIM

To investigate the safety and feasibility of taking low-concentration carbohydrate solution at 2 h before induction of anesthesia for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients.

METHODS

GDM patients undergoing cesarean section were randomly assigned to experimental group (n = 43) and control group (n = 42). Two hours before induction of anesthesia, participants in experimental group orally received 300 mL low-concentration carbohydrate solution, while those in control group received equivalent warm water. Blood glucose and serum insulin were measured at 2 h before induction of anesthesia, right before induction of anesthesia, and the morning of postoperative day 1. Neonatal blood glucose level was monitored at birth. Maternal gastrointestinal function and well-being were assessed perioperatively.

RESULTS

The levels of blood glucose and serum insulin right before induction of anesthesia in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. There were four cases with hypoglycemia in the experimental group and 19 cases in the control group right before induction of anesthesia (9.3% vs 45.2%, p < 0.001). The incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia was 2.3% in the experimental group and 7.1% in the control group with no significance. Hunger score of the participants between the two groups right before induction of anesthesia was significantly different. No aspiration, nausea, and vomiting occurred in both groups before, during, and after surgery. No significant difference was found in the time to the first flatus and abdominal distension between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Taking low-concentration carbohydrate solution is safe and feasible for patients with GDM undergoing elective cesarean section.