Impact of preoperative carbohydrate loading on gastric volume in patients with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND Enhanced recovery after surgery advocates that consuming carbohydrates two hours before anesthesia is beneficial to the patient’s recovery.Patients with diabetes are prone to delayed gastric emptying.Different guidelines for preoperative carbohydrate consumption in patients with diabetes remain controversial due to concerns about the risk of regurgitation,aspiration and hyperglycemia.Ultrasonic gastric volume(GV)assessment and blood glucose monitoring can comprehensively evaluate the safety and feasibility of preoperative carbohydrate intake in type 2 diabetes(T2 D)patients.AIM To evaluate the impact of preoperative carbohydrate loading on GV before anesthesia induction in T2 D patients.METHODS Patients with T2 D receiving surgery under general anesthesia from December 2019 to December 2020 were included.A total of 78 patients were randomly allocated to 4 groups receiving 0,100,200,or 300 m L of carbohydrate loading 2 h before anesthesia induction.Gastric volume per unit weight(GV/W),Perlas grade,changes in blood glucose level,and risk of reflux and aspiration were evaluated before anesthesia induction.RESULTS No significant difference was found in GV/W among the groups before anesthesia induction(P>0.05).The number of patients with Perlas grade II and GV/W>1.5 m L/kg did not differ among the groups(P>0.05).Blood glucose level increased by>2 mmol/L in patients receiving 300 m L carbohydrate drink,which was significantly higher than that in groups 1 and 2(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Preoperative carbohydrate loading<300 m L 2 h before induction of anesthesia in patients with T2 D did not affect GV or increase the risk of reflux and aspiration.Blood glucose levels did not change significantly with preoperative carbohydrate loading of<200 m L.However,300 m L carbohydrate loading may increase blood glucose levels in patients with T2 D before induction of anesthesia.

Preoperative carbohydrate load to reduce perioperative glycemic variability and improve surgical outcomes:A scoping review

The detrimental effects of both diabetes mellitus(DM)and hyperglycemia in the perioperative period are well established and have driven extensive efforts to control blood glucose concentration(BGC)in a variety of clinical settings.It is now appreciated that acute BGC spikes,hypoglycemia,and high glycemic variability(GV)lead to more endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress than uncomplicated,chronically elevated BGC.In the perioperative setting,fasting is the primary approach to reducing the risk for pulmonary aspiration;however,prolonged fasting drives the body into a catabolic state and therefore may increase GV.Elevated GV in the perioperative period is associated with an increased risk for postoperative complications,including morbidity and mortality.These challenges pose a conundrum for the management of patients typically instructed to fast for at least 8 h before surgery.Preliminary evidence suggests that the administration of an oral preoperative carbohydrate load(PCL)to stimulate endogenous insulin production and reduce GV in the perioperative period may attenuate BGC spikes and ultimately decrease postoperative morbidity,without significantly increasing the risk of pulmonary aspiration.The aim of this scoping review is to summarize the available evidence on the impact of PCL on perioperative GV and surgical outcomes,with an emphasis on evidence pertaining to patients with DM.The clinical relevance of GV will be summarized,the relationship between GV and postoperative course will be explored,and the impact of PCL on GV and surgical outcomes will be presented.A total of 13 articles,presented in three sections,were chosen for inclusion.This scoping review concludes that the benefits of a PCL outweigh the risks in most patients,even in those with well controlled type 2 DM.The administration of a PCL might effectively minimize metabolic derangements such as GV and ultimately result in reduced postoperative morbidity and mortality,but this remains to be proven.Future efforts to standardize the content and timing of a PCL are needed.Ultimately,a rigorous data-driven consensus opinion regarding PCL administration that identifies optimal carbohydrate content,volume,and timing of ingestion should be established.