FASTING GUIDELINES BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE Patient Education
What does " fasting " mean?— " Fasting " means not eating or drinking anything for a period of time. People often need to fast before getting a medical test, procedure or surgery.
You will need to fast if you are getting any of the following:
● General anesthesia – This type of anesthesia makes you unconscious so you can ' t feel, see, or hear anything during the procedure. Some of the medicines are given through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an " IV." Others are gases that you breathe in.
● Regional anesthesia – This type of anesthesia blocks pain in one area of your body, such as an arm, leg, or the lower half of your body. The doctor will inject medicine around the nerves that go to the area where you are having your procedure.
● Sedation – This is the term for getting medicines to make you relax and feel sleepy.
Why do I need to fast?— If you have food or liquid in your stomach, some of it could get into your lungs while you are under anesthesia. Normally, your body is able to prevent what ' s in your stomach from entering your lungs. But anesthesia medicines make it harder for your body to prevent this.
When food or liquids from the stomach get into the lungs, doctors call it " aspiration." This is rare but can be dangerous if it does happen. That ' s because it can lead to infection, lung damage, or breathing problems.
How long before my procedure do I have to stop eating and drinking?— it ' s important to follow your doctor or nurse ' s instructions carefully, but, in general:
● DO NOT eat any solid foods after midnight before your procedure. You should also avoid milk and cream after this time, even small amounts like in coffee or tea. That ' s because milk " curdles " into small solid bits in the stomach.
● YOU CAN drink clear liquids up to 3 hours before your procedure( up to 16 oz.). Clear liquids include water, clear juice( like apple or cranberry), coffee or tea without milk or cream and sports drinks( Gatorade). Clear drinks with carbohydrates are preferred( clear juice, sports drinks). No protein drinks / shakes.
● DO NOT eat or drink anything, even clear liquids, during the 3 hours before your procedure.
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Form Number: 100-260 Not Part of the Medical Record Revision Date: 7 / 2026