Ultrasonographic evaluation of gastric contents in term pregnant women fasted for six hours.

BACKGROUND: Current fasting guidelines suggest six hours are adequate to minimise the aspiration risk after a light meal consumed by pregnant women undergoing elective caesarean section. We assessed gastric contents in non-labouring pregnant women, using ultrasonographic analysis. METHODS: In a prospective study, pregnant women ≥36 weeks' gestation, without conditions likely to influence gastric emptying, underwent ultrasonographic analysis of their gastric antrum, after six hours of fasting following a standardised light meal. The primary outcome was solid food content in the antrum. Other outcomes included fluid in the supine and right lateral positions, antral cross-sectional area and estimated residual gastric fluid volume. Antral grades were classified: grade 0 = absence of fluid in both supine and right lateral positions: grade 1 = fluid present in the right lateral position only: grade 2 = fluid in both positions. RESULTS: Complete data were available in 46/51 (90%) women. No woman had solid food visible. Antral grades 0, 1 and 2 were seen in 6 (13%), 36 (78%) and 4 (9%) women respectively. Eighteen of 48 women (37.5%) had a residual volume greater than 1.5 mL/kg. Of those with a grade 1 antrum, 13/36 (36%) had residual volumes in excess of 1.5 mL/kg. For grade 2, this was 4/4 (100%). CONCLUSIONS: Our cohort of pregnant women fasted for six hours had no solid food visible in the antrum, but many had both qualitative and quantitative ultrasonographic evidence of gastric volumes potentially associated with aspiration risk. This suggests that pregnancy-specific fasting guidelines may be required.

Comparison of sublingual, vaginal, and oral misoprostol in cervical ripening for first trimester abortion.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness and tolerability of misoprostol as a cervical ripening agent in first trimester abortion through three different routes of administration before surgical evacuation (SE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a hospital based prospective randomized open labeled parallel study. A total of 150 randomly selected married women were divided in three groups for sublingual (S/L), vaginal and oral 400 µg of misoprostol single dose administration. The drug was administered 3-4 h before SE in the S/L and vaginal groups and 12 h before the procedure in the oral group. Efficacy was assessed on the basis of time taken for ripening, dilatation achieved, duration of the procedure, intra-operative blood loss, and pain score. The tolerability was noted on the basis of side effects. RESULTS: The mean time taken for cervical ripening was less in sublingual administration (3.7±1.2 hr) as compared to the vaginal and oral routes. The S/L group had significant cervical dilatation (P<0.001) and the duration of SE was less as compared to the vaginal and oral routes. However, the mean intraoperative blood loss was more in sublingual as compared to the vaginal and oral groups. The intra-operative pain score of the S/L group was significantly lower (1.9±1.1, P<0.05) as compared to the vaginal (2.6±1.7) or oral route (3.3±1.7). Loose motions and nausea/vomiting were more with the S/L and oral routes while blood loss was more in the vaginal route. CONCLUSION: Administration of misoprostol by the sublingual route is better than the oral and vaginal routes for cervical ripening.