Introduction: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based concept that reduces the recovery period after major abdominal surgery. Ingestion of carbohydrate solutions up until two hours before elective surgery has shown positive results. The authors present a case of regurgitation in a patient with apparently low risk for delayed gastric emptying who drank a carbohydrate solution two hours before induction of anaesthesia.
Case report: An 80-year-old male patient with a relevant history of ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, stage 3 chronic kidney disease and hypertension, was diagnosed with rectal cancer. He was scheduled for an anterior rectal resection hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery under the ERAS program, which included a 200 mL carbohydrate drink the night before and in the morning of the surgery, no less than two hours before the induction of anaesthesia. Immediately after loss of consciousness, there was regurgitation of a significant amount of clear fluid.
Discussion: Even though ingestion of oral carbohydrate drinks is considered to be safe up to two hours before anaesthesia, further evaluation (e.g., gastric ultrasonography) may be considered in non-high-risk patients.
Keywords: ERAS; aspiration; carbohydrate drink; regurgitation.